


Our Little Horror Story

by NBCWerewolf



Category: IT (2017), IT (2019), IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Betrayal, Character Death, F/M, Graphic Description of Corpses, Likely won't be any romantic scenarios, Mature content will be tagged, Murderous clown shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-01-02 19:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 102,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21166937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NBCWerewolf/pseuds/NBCWerewolf
Summary: There was a residual burn in her chest. Despite her best efforts, however, Jay was drawing a blank. She remembered leaning into the woman's car to put down her bags, and...then...nothing. "I'm sorry," she sighed, "I don't remember anything, after that."Toby couldn't accept that, and he leaned forward to urge her again. "Did the clown get you, Jay?"Silent expressions and bodily gestures were all he got back."Did he take you? What did he do to you?!"Jay nearly growled, "I just said I don't know! I don't remember!"Out of ear-shot, Victor turned to his remaining friends. "What's the plan, now?" They didn't have to question what he meant. Their recent plan to stay together had proven a failure. Regardless of whom stood at Jay's side, Pennywise had shown them how pointless the whole 'safety in numbers' concept truly was."We'll have to switch up our tactics," Toby sighed, for the moment unsure of the next step. "I just hope he hasn't made a monster out of her..."{Pennywise vs The Wolfe Pack centric}





	1. Introductions

It was chilly for an early September morning. Sky, heavily cloudy. Perhaps calling for rain, later on. What a wonderful walk home that would make...

For some, that much would be spoken with sarcasm. Yet, it was truth for one young woman in particular. 19-year-old Jay Wolfe let out a huff as she set down a stack of books atop the closest table. "New arrivals," her boss had said as she'd joined him in opening, this morning. Arrivals that now needed to be put out on display for the week's sales. She brushed back her semi-long burnt umber hair, which naturally fell just below her shoulders, and set to printing the labels to plaster over each book's corner. Deep blue eyes focused through thin gray frames, pale-fleshed hands briefly tugging up the sleeves of her dark dress shirt. Not something she normally wore. At least, not outside of work. On her off days, these dress shirts would be replaced by graphic tees, typically those of the Halloween variety.

She'd almost been an October baby. Perhaps that was why she gravitated toward the grim and dreary.

Few people spoke to her as she went about arranging the new displays. That wasn't uncommon. Most chose not to even say 'hello', here in Derry. That didn't bother her. After all, the less time spent talking, the more time spent working. The more time spent working, the sooner her shift would be over. Besides, none of her friends had come by, yet. Still, as she worked onward, she spared the occasional glance around the small bookstore. It was but a two-story building, shelves and bookcases packed with novels, manga, comic books...just about anything with a front and back cover. Scattered about the two floors were tables of gifts and toys. Among them all, a couple of registers. A busy place around the holidays. For now, however, slow as snails and about as dead as those at rest in the town's cemetery. A few kids occupied a table here and there, nose-deep in round after round of their chosen card game. Some had opted instead to do their homework from yesterday's class. Beyond that, it was quiet.

Just the way Jay preferred it.

Until she heard the jingle of the bell at the front door, signaling the entry of a new customer. "Welcome to PageTurner's," she greeted with a smile, casting the newcomer a quick look. Enough to tell them she acknowledged their presence. "Lemme guess: closing in an hour?" joked a young man's voice. Her smile widened, and she playfully, slowly, turned her head to narrow an eye at him. "How can we be closing? We just opened," she replied, stepping aside to pick up a box and place it down on her table, easily tearing through the tape that secured it. The young man in question was a fellow 19-year-old she knew as Toby Lawrence. A head taller than her 5-foot 1-inch stature, he had short white-blond hair that partially trailed down his neck. His laid-back nature kept his forest-green eyes lazily half-lidded. His "expected norm", as he often stated. He'd stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie, the legs of his jeans cuffed over black and white converse shoes. "That's basically what you tell me every time I visit," he excused in joke.

"Uh, yes--because you always wait until late at night to drop by. Night-Owl," Jay picked in kind, short brows furrowing over her ocean-blue eyes.

His own rose in mock surprise. "Ah, but it would seem I'm here in broad daylight. Imagine that!" He recoiled in short laughter when she pretended to chuck a book at him. "What are you doing in, so early? Didn't you have work, today?" Jay continued, carting her books to another blank stand. He gave her back a faint shrug, "Not today, but I was supposed to have class. The professor cancelled, so I'm here to kill time."

"Truly? Shall I provide you a knife?"

Another chuckle. "Nah. I'd have to go buy another, right after the 'funeral'," he returned, content to stand where he was as she worked. "But, uh, I was curious to ask if you knew of any 'Ye Ol' English' novels? I've got some reports coming up, and I really need to hunker down and read something."

The brunette cast him another glance. "Ye Ol' English? What is this, the Renaissance fair?"

"Given how ancient Derry is? It may as well be."

She let out a breath through her smile, then gestured up the nearby stairs. "Second floor, along the far-left wall." Toby bid her thanks, pausing on his way by her to speak again, "You up for dinner, after work?"

"I'll think on it," was her response, just before she resumed greeting new customers. "That's what you said, last time," Toby teased, leaving her for the upper floor, either way. He wasn't meaning it in terms of a date. Heck no! After all, he'd known Jay since childhood, having shared many classes with her. They'd been put together in a group project once, and had been friends, since. The remainder of their little "circle" had assembled over the course of a few recess sessions. Since their graduation from high school, Jay had been the first among them to score a full-time job. While the rest were still either looking for a job or working something part-time, they'd chosen the bookstore she worked at, "PageTurner's", as their usual hangout. Gathering place. Whatever most folks tended to say, these days. It had become so much of their normal routine, Jay expected to see her other two friends, soon.

Soon hadn't come, fast enough. Within a half hour, she'd returned to her position behind the counter to peer outside through the glass doors. Quickly approaching were another young woman and man. Specifically, 18-year-old Winnie Caspers and 19-year-old Victor Franks. The former wore a blue beanie hat over curly black hair, a purple turtle-neck shirt under a matching blue jacket and shorts. There was a sort of skip in her white-shoed step, chestnut-brown eyes momentarily closed behind gold-framed lenses as she held a cellphone to her ear. Beside her sulked Victor, whom was again wearing a brown flat cap over his head of semi-long ginger hair. Light-blue eyes were partly closed in annoyance, his hands gripping the straps of his tan backpack. He'd dressed in an olive-green long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans, a brown tie around his neck to match his shoes. Square-shaped frames sat along his nose, for the moment sitting low enough for Jay to catch his facial expression. Winnie was yapping, again.

"We're here now, so I'll let ya go, okay? Okay. I'll call you later. M'hm, bye~" Winnie spoke into the phone, finally pulling it from her head to end her call. "Hey, Jay! Working hard?" she greeted upon spotting her friend. "Hey, Winnie. Hey, Frankie," Jay replied from the counter. In hearing his nickname be called, Victor snapped to from whatever little world he'd drifted off to. "Huh? Oh, s-sorry. Hey, Jay." He paused, peering about himself. "Guys, you hear that? Silence. Finally!" he 'gasped', resulting in a playful shove from Winnie. "All fights go outside," Jay teased, taking a few minutes to ring up a customer's purchase. When the counter was clear, she rested her upper body against it. "So...looking for movie origins, or just meeting someone here?" she questioned. "Neither," Winnie answered as she and Victor stood by the main counter. "I was actually taking a walk over to pick up something covering all things sea-life for my little brother. He says he has a school project coming up, and he wants to cover sharks. I don't suppose you also offer sharks' teeth?"

Pursing her lips, Jay shook her head. "Sorry. Nathan's got an interest in sharks, does he? When did that come about? I thought he hated the beach."

Winnie shrugged, briefly holding up a hand. "After his trip to the aquarium with Auntie, he just can't stop talking about them. I'd asked him to at least reel it back while among the public." She paused at Jay's smirk. "What?"

"Recall what you just said~"

Winnie did so...catching her own pun. "Aw--now he's got ME doing it!"

Jay openly laughed as Victor offered only a shy chuckle. "Okay, and where does that leave you, Frankie? How'd you get roped into tagging along with Win, here?" Jay continued, shifting the spotlight to the ginger. He nervously nibbled at his lip. "I snuck away after my last driving lesson. Mom's getting strict." He refused to blush his embarrassment when both girls vocalized their pity. "I won't give you guys that honor," he mumbled, brushing off their teasing. A few customer transactions later, a rather thick book was suddenly dropped in front of Jay with a short bang. After her body's initial jump in its skin, she peered down to identify the object before her. "Look what I'd found upstairs," Toby stated, passing greetings to both Winnie and Victor. As the others lightly fussed over the unnecessary jumpscare, Jay inspected the book's cover. A clown-like grin over the book's title was enough to tell her it was one of the new arrivals. "This is supposed to be in the window display with its brethren, and aren't YOU supposed to be treating these books with respect?" Jay spoke up, shooting a glare at the blond-haired man. "What? I found that in with the children's literature," Toby excused. After also giving the book a glance, Victor snickered, "Then I guess we better go check and make sure none of the other books' pages are missing~"

Jay resisted rolling her eyes, but smirked, either way. "Lawrence, could ya put this one back with the others?" She pointed from the holographic gray novel to the stand positioned in the front window. He quirked a brow at her, "Me? Why don't you do it?"

"Uh...because this is the SILVER edition...? I can't touch that."

"Tsk! C'mon, Jay. You're not REALLY a werewolf," Toby faintly laughed, taking the book with him to its destination. A casual claim, among their group. A different story entirely when it came to the public eye. All groups had their oddballs. Jay was their's. Since childhood, she'd claimed to have made friends with the monsters in her room, commanding them to go forth and eat those whom ridiculed her. Bullies had tried targeting her in the past because of it. One incident in particular put an end to all of that. It had also given her grounds to her self-proclaimed status of "Lycanthropy". Most in Derry often referred to her now as the 'She-Wolf'. Honestly, she was no wolf. Yet, it appeared to amuse her to no end in simply playing the part. "You guys know that's what they're basing the festival theme off of, next month. Right?" Winnie asked, brown eyes flitting between each of her friends. "A scary clown? That's nothing new," Victor commented, plopping himself down in the closest available seat. "Maybe not, but ya know...the one mentioned in that book? Supposed to surface every...what, 27 years?" Winnie looked to Jay for confirmation. With her having scored employment in a bookstore, it was for some reason expected that she'd read most of the scary novels that lined those shelves. The one in particular, however, was not among those she'd touched. Especially not the "silver edition".

"Based on what I've heard," the brunette nodded, leaning on the counter. "I haven't actually found time to read that one. Nor may I ever, what with how thick that thing is."

"Well, I happened to do a little research of my own--just to drown out my brother's obsession with sharks. And it turns out, next month's going to mark another 27-year period."

As if on cue, Victor held up both hands to wiggle his fingers, eerily. "I'm serious," Winnie grinned. "Are ya? Then why are ya smiling?" Victor picked back. He then pulled off his hat. "Seriously, though, wasn't that one about some space clown? That stuff's not real. Just a scary story to read to kindergartners before bed."

"Or your own kids," Winnie tacked on.

"Jay's, if she were ever a mom," Toby threw in, effectively getting one of those "psycho grins" from Jay. All in good fun, of course. As the others continued with their conversing, Jay subconsciously tuned them out, focus drifting. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a brilliant red shade creeping across her vision. Instinctively, she looked.

Just outside the building, a young boy in a red shirt and ball cap was frantically running toward the store, his school bag on his back. A frown took to Jay's face, the others soon turning to look as well. Within moments, two somewhat older boys appeared, tailing the fleeing boy. "Aw, come on! Not again," Winnie groaned as Jay casually stepped out from behind her counter. Nobody had to say anything; this wasn't the first time. "My boss will understand," the brunette explained as she neared the doors, pushing them both open to simultaneously hold them open for the boy and to block the way of the young bullies. As soon as said bullies saw whom stood at the store's entrance, they halted--giving their target ample time to duck inside. Shoulders hunched and arms still propping open the doors, Jay suspiciously grinned at the remaining boys. "Hi there, Miller. Did ya come back for another quick bite?" she taunted, watching the dark-haired boy take a step back. As if recalling the last time, the sweater-garbed kid lifted a hand to the back of his neck. "M-my dad got a restraining order against you. Y-you can't hurt me, anymore!" he claimed. Straightening herself, Jay permitted a faint nod, "Hm, well, that's only true in the case of if I were coming at YOU. Buuuut...it appears to me as if you're currently coming towards ME, so..." She let go of one door to hold up that hand in a shrug. "I mean, if you WANT. I could just tell my boss it was to keep you from bashing in Nathan's face."

The bullies weren't even going to test their luck. Scowling, they turned tail, instead.

With them gone, Jay returned to her post at the counter. Currently, that's where Winnie was fussing at her little brother, having tugged off his ball cap to look over his head of short, dark hair for injuries. Heh. She was like a mother, Winnie was. Yet, it was still turning out to be another average morning in Derry. Well--except for one change. Jay scowled to herself, a low growl behind her teeth, as she peered back at the outside world to...nothing. Nothing in particular. It was cold out, sleepyheads dragging themselves from bed to leave for work. Yet...she just couldn't shake that feeling. A crawl up her spine, a chill in her belly. Like something was off. Something only she could sense. Like what, exactly? It wasn't as if she'd sensed this, before. Sighing, she resumed her pleasant smile, trying to ignore this oddity in favor of finishing her shift.

Somehow, she could tell something bad was due to happen.


	2. It Begins

Tires crunched the gravel beneath them as Winnie's amethyst-purple jeep slowed to a halt in the makeshift parking lot. On either side, cars had crammed themselves, sitting vacant as their occupants were away in the sprawling scenery that was the Autumn festival. The sun was already beginning to set, giving its last bit of light before it succumbed to darkness. As the jeep shut off, everyone began to unbuckle their belts, car doors clicking open. It was the first weekend of October--one that had finally granted the four friends simultaneous time off from the daily grind. A first in a while for them all to hang out as they used to in school.

Well, for one exception: Winnie's mother had insisted she take her little brother along with her. Nathan hadn't been in so long, he couldn't stop talking about all he was going to do when they arrived. It was strange; he wasn't usually this chatty. Rather, other students thought he was mute, since he refused to talk much at school. Not that anyone could blame him; people of races other than White in Derry weren't treated the best. His and Winnie's family were Hispanic, the only one in town, and so were often mocked and bullied for "being different". One of many reasons Jay stood up for them. One of many reasons her friends chose to have her stick around. Jay wasn't afraid to jump to the defensive. The others were too timid to put on a brave face. Derry had a brute side, and only a select few were born with the guts to stare it in the eye. Winnie, Victor, and Toby? They weren't among those few.

Yet, Jay was. Somehow. She'd even started considering herself the group's "guard dog". Her words, not theirs. Perhaps that was why Winnie's mother was content to send her youngest child along with them.

"We gotta find a pizza booth, first! I'm starving!" Nathan exclaimed the moment he was out of the vehicle. With the day ending, the temperature was dropping, so everyone had chosen to don their jackets and sweaters. "Oh, no you don't! You're riding everything you can ride, first. THEN you can eat. 'Cause I'm not having you hurl all over me, again," Winnie scolded, lightly tugging her brother to her side as she led the others to the admission stand. Jay, Toby, and Victor lined up after her, aware that it was never a good idea to get between Elder sister and Little brother. "It was just a slush," Nathan mumbled. "Yeah, that stained my favorite skirt a dark blue. I had to throw it out," his sister returned, grimacing at the memory. The two dragged it out up until they'd approached Admission. The group took their time to exchange cash for a stamp on the backs of their hands, then proceeded through the gate leading into the festival. It was Halloween-themed for the season, booths decorated with fake skeletons in humorous positions, ghosts and spooky lights hanging along the edges of roofs. Pumpkin-flavored everything was back in season; Jay could smell it upon approach.

Really, she was only looking forward to the funnel cakes and caramel-coated apples. Her favorites.

The group spoke casually once they'd decided which ride was first. A small steel roller coaster, voted on by Nathan. A few basic carnival rides followed, one of which being the giant Ferris wheel that dominated the landscape. Hilarity ensued as the group practically forced Victor into a pod with them, then began laughing almost uncontrollably at the ginger's panicked reactions. By the time they were permitted off the ride, said ginger was smacking whomever's head was within reach. Playfully, of course. He expected this from them every visit to these carnivals. He'd get back at them at the game booths.

With most of the rides checked off the list, Nathan again turned to his sister. "Can we get pizza NOW?"

Semi-rolling her eyes, Winnie checked her phone for the time. Almost two hours had passed since their group "adventure" began. "Alright, but you're not riding anything else for at least an hour," she stated, barely able to catch the young boy as he dashed off for the nearest food stall. Toby and Jay casually walked side by side, the former's hands in his pockets, as usual. Victor, meanwhile, walked a step or two behind them, letting his stomach--and frayed nerves--settle down. "I had dinner before we drove over. You wanna skip to dessert?" the blond suggested, partly-shut eyes on Jay as he motioned to a sweets stand. "I only came for the funnel cake," Jay replied just as casually, the two parting to wait in line. "Just gimme a ginger ale. I'm gonna go sit down," Victor told them, willingly hurrying off to find them a vacant table. So long as their mouths were full, they couldn't pick at him over his recent panic attack.

Once everyone had a plate in their hands, they'd gathered to join the ginger-haired male at the table he'd finally picked out, deciding to indulge not only in their meals, but in taking several group pictures, as well. They'd laughed especially the hardest when Winnie insisted on taking one of Victor in front of the Ferris wheel. The young man agreed, but did not mask his displeasure, either in his expression or in his hand gestures. "...That one better go on Facebook," Victor mumbled before occupying his mouth with another gulp of ale. At his comment, the others either cut up in laughter or had to fight choking on mouthfuls. It just seemed to amuse them how their flat cap-wearing friend seemed to embrace his Acrophobia. Freaking out one moment, demanding a funny picture of himself be posted, the next.

"Oh, speaking of," Nathan began as he finished his slice of Meat-Lover's. "Win, could ya talk to Mom about letting me go to Timothy's birthday party, next week?"

Mentioned sibling took a napkin to her lips before responding, "Mom said you have to pass this coming math test, remember? You flunked the last one."

"I know, but Timothy's having a Nerf gun war at the park! I could finally use my White Shark from Christmas!"

Winnie's brows furrowed. "White Shark? I thought you called it 'Blizzard'."

"I changed its name." Nathan laughed at his sister's face-palm.

"Only under the condition that you NEVER bring up sharks again for the rest of this year," she said, holding up an index finger. Nathan nodded vigorously, quick to give his sibling a hug. "Thank you, Win!" Rather than accept and return the act in kind, Winnie happened to peer down at his greasy hands. And wrenched his limbs from around her. "Oh, no! You are NOT messing up any more of my outfits! Clean those hands, young man!" There was a brief episode in which Nathan attempted to wipe his hands off on his sister, resulting in a wave of laughter from those sitting with them. The boy finally relented and picked up some napkins with which to clean himself. "All right. So what's next, folks?" Toby spoke up, pushing aside his empty paper plate. "Whatever it is, it better not be another ride. My gut can't take it," Victor put in, emptying his drink bottle. To this, Winnie withdrew the map she'd picked up at a snack booth, laying it flat and opening it along the table's surface. "Let's see what all is left that's not a ride..." She peered over the congested image of the fairground, a fingernail tapping each of the rides they'd already been on. "Looks like most of them are already down for the count. That just leaves some of the attractions--"

"Funhouse," Jay voted, instantly getting up to toss her trash. Toby groaned, "Seriously? I hate the Funhouse..."

"Do ya? Well, if you guys made me get on the Ferris wheel, then YOU'RE going through the Funhouse," Victor declared, adjusting his backpack as he stood to grab the blond by his upper arm. Everyone had suggested he leave the bag at home, but he refused. Claimed it was "a part of him". Well, if that were so, then the others had no problem filling it with whatever they happened to be toting. By the time they left that night, it would most certainly be stuffed to the zippers with plush prizes. Gradually, the group made way for the Funhouse, Victor practically dragging Toby the whole while. Not quite the revenge the ginger was hoping for, but a small taste would satiate him for now. The man he dragged constantly offered bribe after bribe to get him to let go, but to no avail. They each entered the circus tent-shaped building one by one, leaving no choice but to temporarily split up. While everyone else either laughed or cried out in the dark, Jay hurried to put space between herself and her friends. She was not one to pass up such an opportunity for a good scare, and this was no exception. Swiftly, she pressed on, quickly leaving the others' voices behind her. There was one section in particular that made for the best scares, and every Funhouse had one: the Mirror Maze.

By the time her group had caught up, and caught on that she was missing, she'd already chosen her hiding spot.

"Is everyone accounted for? Nobody lost, yet?" Toby called out, counting each of his group's replies--before realizing Jay hadn't answered. "Hey, just so you know, I'm liable to punch someone if something jumps out at me," he said, already aware of his friend's antics. He kept true to his word. At the sudden bang on the transparent wall beside him and the widely-grinning look Jay gave him, he instinctively threw a punch. Only to recoil his hand in pain upon contact. Jay instantly hunched down in laughter, watching her childhood friend wince in brief pain. "Geez, Jay--when I get out of here...!" he threatened, pointing at her with his uninjured hand. The brunette didn't stick around, making quick work of herself to find her way out of the maze. And, by extension, the building. Far behind, she still heard the others' voices, some trying to scare one another as they struggled to find the exit. Well, no matter. She could wait. While doing so, Jay turned to observe her surroundings, noting the brights lights of the food stands, the thrilled cries of people on rides, the pungent mixtures of carnival foods, the faint sobbing of a child--

Wait, what?

She spun in place, focusing her hearing on the sound. Was someone hurt? Short brows furrowed, Jay motioned to zip up her bat-printed jacket, her sneakers soon treading over dirt to mud as she followed the sounds behind various tents. A short walk down a brief clearing between vacant stands brought her to the source. A small boy, likely elementary school-age, sat alone on the damp grass, his back turned to her. He had short hair, a lighter shade of brown than her own, and both his long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and jeans were dirty. It looked to her as though he'd been in a fight...and lost. His head hung, sobs wracking his body. Concern etched on her face, Jay stuck her hands in her jacket pockets, slowly stepping closer. "Hey there, munchkin. Everything okay?" The boy startled at her words, turning to face her with watery eyes. He didn't speak, sniffles robbing him of words. The woman lowered herself to crouch, hands at rest on her knees. "What's wrong?" The boy finally sniffed and rubbed his eyes, "...I lost...I lost my brother."

"Aw, no. I'm sorry. Is he here with you?"

"H-he was. But then he r-ran off, and I lost him in the crowd. I can't find him."

"Well, I'm sure he's out looking for you. What's his name? What does he look like? I may have seen him."

"H-he's taller...darker hair. His name's Billy."

Hm. She hadn't seen anyone matching that brief description. Nobody that wasn't already an adult, anyway.

"H-he told me to wait here, i-if we got...got separated," the boy sniffled, momentarily coughing.

"He did, huh? Well then, would you like me to wait here with you? At least until he shows up?" Jay questioned. The boy nodded, getting up on his feet. It was then she noticed he was clutching something. "What'cha got there?" she asked with a slight gesture of a hand. The boy's gaze dropped, focused on it, before looking back up at her, "A paper boat."

"Really? Did you make that?"

He shook his head, "My brother did. He made it for me."

One hand rose in offer. "May I?" she wondered, short brows rising in emphasis. The boy said nothing more as he handed the object over. It wasn't much to look at, but Jay gave it a short inspection, anyway. One side was blank, slightly dirty. When she turned it over, though...her eyes caught the sight of writing. The name alone made her heart plummet to her stomach.

'S.S. Georgie'

"Is...that your name? Georgie?" she pressed on, eventually peering up from the boat to the boy for his response. He nodded. Something about this was unsettling, to say the least. She'd only heard of it through word of mouth, having not read those books. Yet... "Now," she began, eyes trained on the boat through her lenses. As she stood, she lifted her free hand to her chin, expression perplexed. "Correct me if I'm wrong--and I have been before--but...didn't, uh..." Her free hand tapped a finger on the surface of the tiny boat. "Didn't Georgie get...eaten?" She peered again from the object in hand to the boy--to Georgie.

And the smile he was giving her chilled her to the bone.

Something was definitely wrong.

Her lips pursed for only a moment. Her heart rate increased, but not by much. She just had to stay calm, think clearly. "Well, then...'Georgie'," she stated, casually handing back the boat. "How 'bout this: I just go back to minding my own darn business, leave you to it, and, uh...we pretend this encounter never happened. Good for you? Smiles all around? Good. So, I'm gonna go, now." She'd taken three steps back while speaking, then turned to make way for the crowds. She quickly changed her mind upon hearing quickened footsteps behind her, and whipped around to jab her index finger at him. "Ack!"

He halted.

Laughter split his smile, turning it into a grin. The teeth that lined those jaws weren't of the human sort. Oh, no. Needle-sharp, and accompanied by a pair of threatening eyes. She knew that if she'd turned her back again, he'd be on her. 'How am I gonna get out of this one?' she thought, uncertain of what her next move would be. A wrong one would spell disaster.

'Make it laugh'

She paused, slightly confused. Where had THAT suggestion come from? There was no one else around; just the two of them. Make it laugh, huh? Would that work? Her eyes remained glued to 'Georgie'. Only one way, as they say. She drew in a breath, turning herself so that she faced the "child". Both hands shot up to either side of her head, index fingers pointed at him. Lifting her chin, she widened her eyes and pursed her lips, wiggling her fingers at eye-level. "I'm watching you," she said, resuming her weird expression as she wiggled her body and shuffled her feet backwards. Thankfully, her ridiculous display had the "boy" out-right cackling, doubled over in laughter as she successfully backed herself out and away, slipping back among the public. Assured that she was safe, she ceased her actions, ending her stunt with a short bow. "Good night, Georgie." With that, she turned on her heel and sped her walk along the pathway. She finally expelled a breath, a hand pressed to her forehead. "That was far too close..." she whispered, daring to chance a glance over her shoulder.

'Georgie' was there, peeking around the corner. His sharp teeth were gone, but those glowing eyes remained. With a chuckle, he disappeared from view. Jay sighed again, calming her stiff nerves. It was probably best she just go find her friends and get them out of there, ASAP.

"Hoo, boy. Derry, we've got a problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as the chapter states, 'It' begins. Say hi to "Georgie".
> 
> I'm still piecing this story together, trying to make scenes fit in sequence. I was considering a death for Chapter 2, but...I think that'll hold off until 3. I've got plans coming up for the next couple of days, but will work on Chapter 3 when I have a moment.
> 
> Oh, and if I'm not back on in time to say it: Happy Halloween, everyone!


	3. Targeted

Something was different when It next woke.

It sensed a change in the atmosphere. There was something new in Derry, this waking cycle. Something that called out to It, pulled. Like two magnets held just out of range of each other. Enough to feel the drag of the resulting force without the two ever meeting. Just...It couldn't determine what that was. What was the "other magnet"? What was calling out to It? And why was it only revealing itself now, after so many sleep cycles? Oh, how exciting! A new goal to aim for during this cycle's hunt! But...where to begin the search? Derry was far from huge, but contained many a place to scurry and hide. Suppose It would have to draw out its prey. What better place to start than with another of those yearly festivals?

Food, rides, fun, and prizes! Ideal grounds for It's favorite guise. Typically. Usually. This time, it could wait, and It settled for a form less menacing. Something innocent. After all, there were strangely more adults this time around than children. Perhaps previous cycles were making the others wary? If so, they would all have to go, first. Yet, for now...which among them would be heartless as to ignore a child in distress? It took shape of one of its favorite victims, not suspecting anyone to guess his identity. In the shadows, It had prowled, ever watching for that other "magnet". Nestled just off the main path, It settled and began its act.

It didn't take long to draw in a potential first victim.

"Hey there, munchkin. Everything okay?"

A female's voice. Not a child, but just teetering on the brink of adulthood. A Newblood. It didn't reply, maintaining its false distress as it observed her. A young woman. Pale-toned flesh, brown hair falling just passed shoulder level. Deep-blue eyes peered at It through metal frames. 'Glasses', It heard them called. A dark jacket covered with subtle patterns of a winged creature and jeans concealed her body, which then had hunched down in sneakers. "What's wrong?" she'd asked. She was expecting an answer, an explanation. It wasn't hard to dig one up.

"I lost...I lost my brother," It lied.

"Aw, no. I'm sorry. Is he here with you?"

It had attempted to read her mind, claw through her thoughts to pinpoint her worst fears. A tactic It often used on prey that wasn't yet terrified by its presence. Often, it was as simple as heights, the dark, a giant insect, or fictional monster. Sometimes, it was just as simple as It's favorite form. However...all It could detect from this one was static; nothing. How peculiar. Perhaps It just needed to dig, further. It needed to keep her nearby, just long enough.

"H-he was. But then he r-ran off, and I lost him in the crowd. I can't find him," It excused.

"Well, I'm sure he's out looking for you. What's his name? What does he look like? I may have seen him."

It doubted that. Still, if it was a description she wanted...

"H-he's taller...darker hair. His name's Billy. H-he told me to wait here, i-if we got...got separated," It 'sniffled', then coughed. Playing the part.

"He did, huh? Well then, would you like me to wait here with you? At least until he shows up?"

Willing to stay, was she? Wonderful~ That gave It more time to pick her brain. It noticed her gaze had dropped, likely to the object It had in hand. "What'cha got there?" the female had questioned. Was it not obvious? "A paper boat," It stated. "Really? Did you make that?" she continued, persistent in disrupting It's concentration. It hadn't found a fear to feed off of. Not yet. So It shook its head, "My brother did. He made it for me."

One of her hands lifted, as if offering to take a look. Short brows had risen as she'd asked permission. Good; a break from their conversing. With her focus off of It, It resumed its searching. How frustrating, though, that It could not detect what it was that made her cower in fear, beg for her life! Rarely did this ever happen. Ah, but it was easily remedied~ "Is...that your name? Georgie?" she'd spoke again, interrupting It, once more. It gave a nod--and instantly sensed the change in her approach. She was alert, now. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong--and I have been before--but...didn't, uh..." She'd silenced herself in tapping on the paper boat. "Didn't Georgie get...eaten?"

Ahh...so she knew about that little tragedy, did she?~ What a fun kill THAT had been~ Unfortunate that It couldn't pick out what it was she feared most, but that wasn't a first. It was time to rely on traditional tricks. At the mention of the boy's demise, It could only smile. When she saw this, It heard her heart rate pick up. What a sound~ Yet...it was far from pounding. She was alert, yes, but far from scared. Did she know what it was she was dealing with? She'd then handed back the paper boat. "Well, then...'Georgie', how 'bout this: I just go back to minding my own darn business, leave you to it, and, uh...we pretend this encounter never happened. Good for you? Smiles all around? Good. So, I'm gonna go, now." She'd then turned her back--and It chose that moment to pounce...

...Only to have said act be halted when she'd whipped back around to jab a finger at It. Challenging It, was she? It only cackled, putting on display those rows of needle-sharp teeth It often used for ripping apart its prey. Surely, this was enough to frighten--

"I'm watching you," she'd said, holding her hands up by her head in some ridiculous pose. How she'd chosen to shuffle backwards and away from It...It could only laugh. And laugh, It did. What sort of prey...in the face of death...?! It soon calmed the laughter, barely catching her parting words as she'd stepped from sight. Hah, well...that encounter was interesting, to say the least. Rarely did potential victims make It laugh as she had. Yes, It was humored; It would feast on another, that night. Ah, but...her name. What was her name? That much, It would stick around long enough to obtain. Maybe keep watch over her? She'd been entertaining, for a mortal. Should she happen to stop being so, THEN It would devour her. After all, why let this cycle be a repeat of those that had come before?

The sounds of a protesting child were next to draw It's attention. For now, It would let her go. As she departed, so too did It, its guise morphing into that of its preferred and favored form. Darkness masked the silver shade of It's costume, the faint tinkling of bells the only sign of its presence...

************************************************

Once again, Winnie's vehicle pulled to a stop, only one door swinging open as a single occupant scurried out: Nathan, garbed in a navy-blue jacket and his favorite ball cap, and armed with his toy gun, 'White Shark'. "Thanks for the ride, Win!" he called back, freezing in his motion to shut his door. "Ack! You owe me one, little brother. Don't forget that. And also don't forget to call me or Mom if something happens. Otherwise, I'll be back in a couple hours," Winnie replied from the driver's seat. With a point of a finger, she added, "DON'T leave the park, okay?" Nathan frowned and sighed his aggravation, "Okay, I got it. Sheesh, I'm not in 3rd grade, anymore." The elder sibling accepted that, finally turning her brother loose. The door shut, Nathan taking off around the back end of the vehicle to yell out at his friends. They'd set up a large tent for the Birthday Boy. Looked like it would have been a lot of fun.

"Ready to hit the mall?" Winnie asked her only other passenger, Jay. She'd been staring out of her window, the entire ride. With the weather turning cold, both girls dressed warmly, Jay in a solid-black jacket, and Winnie in her beanie cap and light coat. Since she had to drop her brother off at his friend's party anyway, Winnie had asked Jay to accompany her in a search for the right Halloween costume. Out of the two, Winnie was more-so the "party gal". Jay was not. But Jay DID appreciate Halloween, and it couldn't hurt to look for a new addition to her current costume. "Am if you are," was Jay's response, secretly glad for the silence, now that Nathan was out of the jeep. With a nod, Winnie shifted gears, and off they drove to the mall, twenty minutes down the road.

Upon arrival, the two stopped initially at the food court, desiring a bite to eat before their hunt for the proper costume began. Over their meals, Winnie decided to poke and prod. "Any idea what you're going to be, this year?"

The brunette shrugged a shoulder, pausing mid-chew. "Probably the same as last year."

"Last year?! The werewolf, again?! C'mon, Jay--you've worn that costume for at least the last 3 years, or so. Why not try something different?"

"I dunno. There's just something about it that speaks to me."

Winnie's brows furrowed, lips pulling away from her drink's straw. "Speaks to you...?"

"Well...it's like the one costume that feels like...me. Y'know? I-I've tried everything else: vampire, scarecrow, Bride of Frankenstein, ghost girl. But then, I put on one werewolf costume, and it just...it just clicked. Like it was made for me. I haven't wanted to be anything else, since."

"Heh, then I guess we better change that. I doubt you'll be attracting any guys, decked out in a suit of fur and fangs."

Playing along to this mindset, Jay hunched her shoulders, smirking over her beverage. "May only the bravest step forward~"

That got a good laugh out of Winnie--and nearly made her choke on her last bites. After a moment of checking that her friend didn't pass out on her, Jay accompanied Winnie to the first costume shop. During their browsing, the beanie-capped one continued her 'digging'. "Any word from your folks? Heard they'd tried calling you, a couple weeks ago."

Jay's relaxed demeanor turned irritated. "They have, and I didn't pick up. Not going to, either."

"Why not? They're your PARENTS, Jay."

"Sure, I know. But since when would your own parents stop looking at you like their child and start viewing you as nothing more than a status symbol?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Remember waaaay back when, I'd told you guys I'd moved here?" Jay lightly huffed.

"Sure...?"

"I actually wasn't supposed to."

"You weren't supposed to?"

The brunette shook her head, eyes closed behind her metal frames, "Nope. I was SUPPOSED to head to one of the local colleges. Colby, Husson, Bowdoin...I had a selection. Parents were flipping the bill for it; sent me off with the check, straight out of high school. My parents were never fond of Derry, and never wanted to live here. Yet, I still had to attend school, so they let me ride the bus over. Otherwise, I was stuck at home, studying, learning. No video games for me, no. Just books, old literature."

"What's wrong with that? Maybe they were just getting you prepared for college?"

A bitter smile crossed Jay's face. "By letting me know that I couldn't go to bed until I'd memorized every word of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'?"

Winnie appeared stumped. "...Okay, that's a bit much."

"Well, that was how my folks raised me. If I studied and passed all my exams, I was showered with affection. I didn't, I was punished, books constantly shoved in my face. Especially when they realized what a talent I had in writing."

"You didn't tell us about that."

"And I'd rather you didn't share this nugget of info, either." Jay subconsciously scanned the racks of packaged costumes, expression softening. "When they sent me off, I chose to take the money and put it towards my new place. Money they'd gifted to me since my first day of school. Money they wouldn't be getting back; it was mine. And since I didn't want to go to school with it, I saw to buying my first apartment. Settled here in Derry, and haven't spoken with them, since."

"I thought my parents were strict. But...still. It couldn't hurt to send them a card. Or something," Winnie suggested, picking up whatever costume caught her eye. "With no return address," Jay partially agreed, casting a weird glance at a "sexy kitty" costume. "No way in my afterlife..." she muttered, putting it back.

"You should definitely go with that one. Maybe add in a leash~" came a male voice. Young, a bit older than Jay, cocky. Full of himself. Jay nearly scowled, aware of whom, exactly, was drawing near. "Only if I can suffocate you with it," she replied, turning to find the dirty-blond in a tan leather jacket and work jeans. 'Ray Norman', he called himself. Jay could think of a list of names she'd rather call him. Bright green eyes scanned her over a pair of sunglasses, the young man's hair kept up in a hairstyle far too outdated for his age. He was alone, this time. Unusual, as he normally traveled in a "pack". That was how he and Jay had met: he, with his 'pack mates', she, with Toby during one of the town's Halloween parties. A few empty taunts and teases while the dark-blond was lip-locked with a fourth bottle had him convinced Jay had something for him. Reality was, she did not. "Heheh, never pegged you for the kinky sort~" he grinned, seemingly ignoring Winnie's presence as he stayed focused on Jay. "Something I can help you with?" the brunette asked, annoyed by this...interruption. "Hm, you can, actually. I've been trying to decide where we should have the honeymoon," he said. Before Jay could retort, he looked over the costumes, beside them. "Maybe you could wear one of these after the celebratory dinner?"

"You think so, hm?" Jay feigned interest in the suits, then looked back at him. "Suppose I suggest that YOU slip into something more comfortable? Like, I dunno...a coma?"

His smirk faltered. "Someone's in a mood. Is now not a good time?"

"Now was never a good time. Nor will it ever be," Jay finished, Winnie finally mustering the nerve to glare at Ray. "Take a hint, Ray," she even dared to comment. The man shrugged. "Okay. I can see you're busy. We can catch up, another time. But, uh, don't make me wait too long, Jay. We both know there's no better guy in town than me. Let's just pray you aren't too late when you finally realize that~" He made a move to give her a quick peck, missing when she abruptly pulled back. Instead, she met him with a glare, a silent command to move along. A command, he would obey. This time. With a wink, he passed her by, commenting another young woman on his way out. "What a piece of work, that one," Jay grumbled, Winnie nodding in agreement. "That's what happens when your job as a car salesman takes off: you start to believe you're some stud," stated the darker-haired girl. Jay could only shake her head in disbelief. "Maybe we should speed up the search and get out of here," she suggested.

Interrupted then by Winnie's cellphone.

"Oh, hold up..." The device was withdrawn and answered. "Hey, Mom. What's--" Winnie paused, sentence cut off. "Nathan? He's at the NERF party, remember? You said I could drop him off." Pause. "It's only been an hour. What, an hour and thirty, at most? Why?" Pause. "I thought he'd charged his phone? It was plugged in, last night." Pause. Winnie's brows furrowed with concern. "Okay, okay. I'll go back and check on him. Just stay calm." Pause. "Alright, alright. I'm on it. Love you, too." She hung up, right after.

"What's wrong?" Jay wondered, suddenly feeling less at ease.

Winnie's expression didn't change as she met her friend's gaze. "Nathan's missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These updates are going to be slow, same as previous 'fics, so please be patient with me. I really want this 'fic to come out well, and will be trying to squeeze in what details I can. Anyway, we get a glimpse into why It chose to spare Jay, as well as be introduced to another player on the board. There will be purpose for him, later.
> 
> (And don't worry, there will be "murder clown shenanigans", as promised.)


	4. The Dancing Clown (Graphic content)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of gore in the following chapter!

Costumes could wait. Locating Nathan was far more important.

After confirming that the coast was clear of Ray, the two fled from the mall to hop back in Winnie's jeep. With a squeal of the tires, they were off, driving back down the roads they'd come. "He'd better be okay--so I can kill him!" Winnie muttered under her breath, grip tight on the steering wheel. Jay didn't comment, uncertain of how to feel concerning Nathan's well-being. He often liked to make Winnie panic, worry. Over nothing, most of the time. But for him not to answer their mother's calls? How unlike him. It was possible he'd simply dropped his phone while in the midst of a round. The boys WERE doing a lot of running around. Maybe his phone was just on vibrate, and he couldn't hear it? Jay braced herself as the jeep made two sharp turns. They would both find out, shortly.

In time, the sight of the park returned to view, and the jeep was hurriedly parked. Both young women jumped out and rushed to find the group Nathan had previously been left in the company of. Several boys of varying ages stood gathered, one speaking to the others as if spilling all that he knew. "Were you guys with Nathan?" Winnie immediately asked when she and Jay had reached them. "We WERE, yeah. Up until he disappeared," a younger boy replied, out of breath from their last round. "Are you his sister?" another boy asked in turn. Winnie confirmed this, pressing again to know where her little brother was.

"Your guess is as good as ours, lady. Last I saw him, he was gathering up his ammo by those shrubs," a third piped in, pointing off at the bushes in the distance. "Yeah, and then I saw him step out into the woods," the first boy tacked on, gesturing to the line of trees, just beyond. "Gave him about ten minutes, but he didn't come back. I tried calling him, but it went straight to his voicemail," an older boy explained, having set down the toy gun he'd been using in their game. "Have you guys tried looking for him? Followed him?" pushed Nathan's sibling, worry now in her voice. When none spoke up, she pointed out a few of them. "Then you two, come with me. You're helping me look. The rest of you are with Jay. We'll search the perimeter of the park. You all have the forest."

Wonderful news. Not one of Nathan's apparent friends were willing to do this--but did so, for Nathan's sake. A couple of them tailed Jay as the brunette wordlessly headed for the trees. Behind her, she could hear Winnie's distressed voice soften and die, the further away she walked. Poor gal. More-so motherly than their own mother. As she crossed the border between the park field and the forest, Jay heard the boys behind her hesitate, muttering to each other about bug-repellent and allergies to poison ivy. Tsk--wimps. Legs clad in jeans and sneakers, Jay held no worries for either of those things. Instead, she pressed on, head turning and eyes scanning this way and that for any sign of Nathan. Other than some falling leaves, the skittering of squirrels between trees, and the occasional bird, there was nothing. Bushes ruffled only with the motions of the local wildlife, not a human--or humanoid--to be found.

Crunching twigs and dried leaves soon gave way for a small path carved through the trees, twisting this way, that way. There were no voices at her back, proof that the boys had apparently chickened out of their appointed task. That, or hesitating long enough for some darn repellent. What did she care? She didn't need their assistance, anyway.

Hands were shoved in her jacket pockets as she continued her walk. Besides the occasional chirp of a bird or chatter from a squirrel, the woods were quiet. A nice place to be by one's self. Heck, if it weren't already getting so darn cold out, she would have spent all her evenings, out here. Screw the town's "curfew"! Silently, the brunette turned her lens-covered eyes over her shoulder. As she suspected, nobody had followed her. Heh, and people wondered why she was still single...

She jumped in her own skin at the loud rattling among the leaves to her right. Jay whipped around, blue eyes dropping to the ground. Shaking against the earth was a little black cellphone. Brows furrowed, Jay neared and withdrew a hand to kneel and pick it up. The battery life was just under half, and the screen was cracked. Judging by the sheer number of missed calls, many from Winnie and her mother, Jay could only assume this was Nathan's phone. Was he still nearby? "Nate? Nathan, are you here? Can you hear me?" she called out, eyes darting around for any sign of him. "Your sister's looking for you. Might wanna come out, now."

Not a sound.

Not a voice.

Not a footstep.

Nothing.

A concerned frown claimed her face. Nobody just disappeared without a trace, so why wasn't Nathan responding? Nobody had heard anything, saw anything, except Nathan heading into the woods in the first place. Had he climbed a tree? Gotten stuck? Her gaze instantly rose to the tree tops, humoring any sort of worst-case scenario. Shoot--it were also possible Nathan had just decided to take a nap, up there! Who knew? If he did, that would explain the condition of his phone.

Bright crimson slowly, suddenly, crawled along the edge of her vision. At first, she thought it to be Nathan in one of his ball caps. Maybe he'd finally heard her? She looked, eyes focused not on a young boy, but a balloon. A brilliant-red balloon, trailing a white string. Nothing out of the ordinary. Usually. This one, however, did not behave as most of its kind would. Instead of floating straight up, it wandered from left to right, passing Jay by among the trees. She didn't move, only following the object with her eyes. Short brows were faintly furrowed. Her body tensed, alert. Suspicion blossomed with the appearance of that balloon. It was not fear that momentarily bumped up her heart's beating, but curiosity and anger. Wordless, Jay stuffed Nathan's phone in an empty pocket, making the split decision to follow the balloon. Normally a foolish decision, but she was far too furious now to even care. Why? Well...she wasn't sure. She knew not of this balloon's origins, or what force was making it act against the laws of gravity. Reality. She was more than willing to find out, though.

With steady steps, Jay followed, gaze never faltering from the object hovering just ahead of her. Never getting closer to it, she realized it was leading her somewhere. In constant motion, just as she was. Yet, still, she followed. Where, exactly, was it taking her? Deep, deeper. That's all she knew. Up until the path curved by one of the larger trees. Here, the balloon slowed, string lazily swaying in the breeze. It was suddenly grasped, caught by a white-gloved hand that had shot out from behind the tree. The act was accompanied by the jingling of small bells, abruptly stopping Jay in her tracks. She remained where she stood. Alert. Attentive. The balloon was held in but two fingers and a thumb, its captor soon enough leering from behind its hiding place. Jay's eyes lightly flickered, noting the details of this new creature. Red hair, a bright orange in the light, curled around a head of chalk-white, as if resembling horns. By head-shape alone, the brunette could tell this was no human. Her own deep eyes met baby blue ones, scarlet lines mimicking the markings of a cheetah trailing over its eyes to its lips. How fitting, as she may as well have been staring down some large, predatory cat! She said nothing, resorting instead to watching as the creature stepped out from hiding.

A clown of sorts. Taller than herself by a couple heads, and garbed in a silver-white costume. Slim around its limbs, wide and puffy around its hips and shoulders, and decorated down the chest with puffs of red. Black and white boots sported the same red puffs, meant to pair with its costume. "His", she should say--judging by his build and height.

Jay knew not of this clown; had never met him, never saw him, before. Yet...something deep within was telling her all she needed to know. This was no friendly clown; not by a landslide. He hadn't yet spoken, but greeted her with a soft grin that stretched his blood-red lips. Teeth reminding her of a rodent were exposed in attempt to pull her back from the edge. It didn't work. She swallowed, stance straight. Whatever hint of fear or unease she may have felt, she kept masked behind her stoic expression. "So...how's Georgie?" she engaged. His grin widened, followed by a light-hearted chuckle. "Delicious~" he replied, somewhat laughing. She didn't find him amusing, head lowered but by an inch, eyes narrowed. He held his grin and tilted his head, "Did you know him?"

"Not personally, but he was all over the news, once. Gutted and miss--"

"Missing his right arm!" the clown cut in with a bit of a cackle. He then nodded, "You know of that, do you? Well, then..." His free hand rose to tap at his chest. "You must know who I am...surely!"

She kept her lips pursed.

"Come on..." He took two steps closer, tiny bells jingling. "Just on the tip of your tongue," he spoke, pointing briefly at his own mouth.

She knew not whom this clown was. WHAT this clown was. And yet...a name DID surface. Somehow. "I don't know your true name, whatever you call yourself. Just the name that you choose to give those who ask," she stated, clenched hands tucked in her pockets. His free one was held outstretched to her, as if gesturing for her input. She drew in a breath, let it out, softly. "Pennywise."

"The Dancing Clown!" he finished, taking a slight bow in greeting.

"Hm. A little late to the party, aren't you? The festival ended, a while ago," Jay commented, unfazed. That puzzled her the most: why she wasn't frightened by his presence. Curious...

"And yet, there's still so much fun left to be had~" As he spoke, his blue eyes turned a piercing gold, dropping his friendly approach. She was already on to him, he knew. "Your guard is up. Now, why is that?"

She quirked a brow, "Did you not hear what I'd said, before?" She gauged his expression of feigned confusion, a finger at his chin. "At the festival?" she added. A minute later, false realization struck him. With a grin, he proceeded to speak--using not his voice, but HERS. "I'm watching you," he stated. Her jaw clenched. "Yes. And I believe I still am," she returned, brows raised. His demeanor hadn't faltered. Rather, he silently let go of the balloon he'd been clutching. It floated not upward, but toward her. Slowly. Perplexed, Jay let her gaze land on the approaching object, wary to take steps back and away from it. What was he up to? The balloon neared her face, prompting her to duck out of its path. Like a persistent gnat, it swiftly turned, aiming for her, once more. And just like a gnat, she grew annoyed--and drew a hand to slap the object away. Into the foliage above, it disappeared.

And just as it did, Jay held in a gasp as two large hands firmly caught hold of her upper arms. Her back met the clown's chest, pinning her. Limiting her movements. Instinct immediately pushed her to fight, struggle.

'Stay still'

But whatever this inner voice was, it knew better.

'Keep your head down; don't meet It's gaze'

It had saved her life, the first time.

'Relax yourself. Stay calm'

There was a chance it would save her life, again. She chose to obey. She instantly stilled herself, head lowered. Tense muscles slacked as she fought her 'Fight or Flight' response. Her gaze dropped to the ground, refusing the temptation to turn and meet the clown's. Lungs drew in a breath, held it. Her heart calmed. Through parted lips, she exhaled.

Amused laughter was briefly riled up behind her. "My! You certainly ARE a stubborn mouse to make squeak~"

Jay resisted a shiver as the sharp points of teeth teased her ear. Scare tactics. That's all they were. She wasn't going to fall for them. "I'd hate to be a nuisance."

"Oh, on the contrary~ The cat's been looking for a new plaything. Something to keep it amused. Now, how well will you fare, hm? Will you flee from its clawed clutches, unscathed? Or will you be batted around to death, and swallowed whole?"

She lightly bared her teeth in a small scowl, fighting a cringe at the feeling of something wet--likely his tongue--being dragged up the back of her neck.

"Oh ho! Suppose we shall find out, won't we? This will be such fun!" He again neared her ear, voice deepening. "Perhaps as much fun as...Nathan..."

Anger spiked behind widened eyes. "You...did...NOT." His hands released her in the same instant she turned around, glaring not at the clown, but at empty space. He was gone. Around herself, Jay searched, ears catching the fading sound of mocking laughter and jingling bells. After them, she ran, aiming to catch up to the clown. Around trees and through bushes, her legs carried her, the sounds never growing louder. Only further away; more distant. Eventually, the sounds brought her to a small clearing, highlighted only by a calm stream. Halting in place, Jay peered through lightly-fogging lenses to try and find Pennywise.

Unfortunate, but he was nowhere to be seen.

All she could find was another balloon, perhaps the same balloon, tied by a 'No Swimming' sign. Quietly panting, Jay quickly walked toward it, only to slow her steps. The grass was darker, here. Not by dirt or mud, but by...

Blood. It was blood. As she neared the source, Jay froze, a hand in a fist against her mouth to keep herself from being sick. In a ditch before her, a body laid torn open at the stomach. Clothing was ripped, shredded. The abdomen was exposed, sliced open from the lower belly to midway up the chest. Organs had tumbled out from their respective cavities, intestines already emitting a putrid smell, the stomach leaking with sickening substances. Ribs were exposed, cracked, broken. Lungs were partially chewed, the heart missing. All around, there was blood. Just...so. Much. Blood. Deep-blue eyes lifted to the face. Or, what remained of a face. One dead eye was stuck open, glossed over. Lifeless. Half of the face's flesh was ripped off, gone. A socket was empty, void of the other eye. Drying blood coated exposed teeth and muscles. Flies had already begun to gather, swarm.

The corpse, Jay realized, was of a young boy. Nathan. She had only just managed to interrupt Pennywise in the midst of his next feeding.

The brunette swallowed dryly, feeling ill. And infuriated. Enraged. Hot tears stung her eyes as she drew in another breath, fished Nathan's phone from her pocket. She blinked her vision clear, dialing Winnie's number. She sniffled, refusing to cry, as she held the device by her ear. Her friend's frantic voice soon enough spewed worried words.

All to which, she only spoke two sentences.

"I found Nathan."

Another soft breath, and her voice cracked.

"...I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting into the swing of this, now. We haven't seen the last of our favorite murderous clown, don't worry~


	5. Would You Like a Receipt?

The funeral was held that weekend.

Winnie had asked all of her friends to attend, needing the emotional support. Short-notice, but Jay's boss was understanding. He'd pardoned her for that day, reassuring her that she'd have a fill-in for the unfortunate event. Dressed accordingly, Jay had stepped through the doors of the funeral home, despising the immediate atmosphere. Everyone she knew was there--in Derry, rather. Winnie's immediate family, her extended family. Several members of Victor's and Toby's families, respectively. Black and white of suits and gowns filled the otherwise empty building, soft conversations breaking up the void of air. Left and right, tissues were being drawn and used for weeping eyes and noses. Not a one paid Jay any mind.

Hands in her pockets, Jay silently passed them by, eyes curiously observing behind her lenses. There were some unfamiliar faces in this somber sea. The only ones she was here to see were found at the far back of the funeral home. Winnie, Toby, and Victor stood by an open casket, both young men trying to console Winnie. From where she stood, Jay could tell she was struggling to hold herself together. Hard to do, when a loved one lay deceased before you. The brunette still said little as she approached, joined her little group with a few gentle taps to their arms or shoulders. Watery-eyed, Winnie fought sobs as she and Jay exchanged an embrace. In letting her Hispanic friend cry on her shoulder, Jay let her gaze trail to the open coffin. Nathan had been prepared with care, his missing parts covered with delicate medical wrappings. His remaining eye was gently closed. Even in this state, it looked almost as though he'd wake and sit up. Thanks to the formal suit they'd dressed him in, one could never tell he'd actually been eaten alive.

Nobody said a word during the services, other than Winnie and other members of her family. They graciously thanked everyone for coming to their aid in such a tragic time. They spoke fondly of the young boy, of all his wishes and dreams. Of his good days and bad. Tears and sobs threatened to break up a few of the speeches. When the casket was finally closed and taken out to the waiting hearse, the four friends stuck together on their way out to the burial site. With pardons from her parents, Winnie rode with her friends in Jay's little green car, the boys in the back seats, she in the Passenger. The drive was a quiet one, with none speaking up. The radio wasn't even on. All the while the car followed in line behind the hearse, Victor stayed leaned forward to set a hand on Winnie's shoulder. His attempt to comfort her. Winnie sat with her head down, fighting back the tears. Her left hand gripped Jay's right, the brunette letting her devastated companion dig her nails into her palm. A desperate grip, a silent beg for consolation. Jay spoke nothing, but tightened her fingers around Winnie's hand.

All four stood with the immediate family as final words were given, family members granted the chance to say goodbye, and the coffin was soon lowered. During this, Winnie broke down once more, a mess of sobs and tears. Victor and Toby both did what they could to calm her, but it was clear to Jay that the elder sibling--now the ONLY sibling--would be but a mess for quite some time. She was never the best at consoling the upset, and chose then to opt for her space away from the grieving bunch. Not a one piped up as to inquire where she was going. Jay was glad for this. She felt some space was best. For now.

Down a path marked between the graves, Jay walked, wandered. Calmly, quietly. A light breeze picked up, lightly toying with her hair. It was sunny, not a cloud to be seen. Ironic, Jay had to think, for such a sorrowful day to be overseen by such pleasant weather. Where were the clouds? The pelting rain to assist in the gloom that hung over everyone's head? If not for what was happening at her back, Jay would have permitted a bitter smile. Why would she NOT expect it to pour? Why, it went hand in hand with funerals in movies, didn't it?

That was not why she refused her grim smile, no. Her heart was too heavy for this. Heavy, because she then felt as though this whole situation--Nathan's death--was HER fault. Why wouldn't it be? After all, SHE had been the first--and only, so far--to even see the monster that plagued Derry. Somehow, she knew what she'd been dealing with, and yet...she hadn't said a word to any of her friends. Toby, Victor, Winnie...not a one. She'd kept the encounter a secret. Now look what happened.

A part of her was convinced that, had she said something to her little group, maybe Nathan would still be alive. Sure, they would have laughed at first, but...knowing Winnie the way she did, Nathan would have been kept safe. If she had just said SOMETHING...

The wind kicked up again, this time carrying with it a sound. A sound audible only to Jay's ears, it seemed. Bells. The ringing of small bells. Jay's feet stilled, her body paused in place. Her head and gaze lifted from the earth, and immediately located the source of the sound. At the other end of the cemetery stood a tall figure, body garbed in a silvery-white. A slender arm hung beside its torso, its form standing perfectly straight. The other arm was held at its stomach, a gloved hand holding the string of a bright red balloon. The object itself obscured the creature's face, but Jay could still make out a bit of its ginger hair from around it. Only after it had gained her attention did it raise the balloon from its face, revealing a predatory gaze and slightly-parted lips. With their eye-contact, the creature disguised as a clown grinned. Widely. Taunting her. It even dared to lift its free hand and give her a little wave.

Jay's body instantly began to shiver. Not out of fear, but in pure rage. Anger spiked her heart rate, her short brows furrowing over widened eyes. Without her knowing it, her nose scrunched and lips pulled back, baring clenched teeth. If her glare could kill, that clown would have already dropped, dead. The sight of him only instilled fury within her. He had messed with HER "pack", and she was NOT happy about that! Her hands formed fists in her pockets, and she took a step toward him with intentions of showing him what happens when an outsider screwed with her pack mates.

"Jay?"

She stopped. Toby. Her angered expression defaulted to concern, she turning to peer over her shoulder.

"Win's folks invited us to join them for supper," the blond stated, somberly. "Winnie's riding with us."

Tensed muscles relaxed, Jay's stance returning to normal. "Oh...okay. Uh, Frankie and Win already there?"

"Yeah. They said they'll wait for us at the car."

The brunette nodded, motioning to follow after him. Yet, she didn't do so without first casting a glance back at the clown, already aware she wouldn't find him there. As expected, he was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Like he'd never been there.

Still, she didn't even bother holding in the growl that clawed at her throat, threatening to spill over into a snarl as she forced herself to follow Toby. Her hand withdrew her keys.

*******************************************

Little else happened for almost two weeks.

Halloween was drawing closer, families out and about on their search for costumes and candy.

Even at eight in the evening, apparently.

It was just Jay and her boss, that evening. What with closing just an hour away, extra staff wasn't required. It was quiet at PageTurner's, that night. Jay's "pack" hadn't even been by to visit, as per norm. Actually, Jay hadn't seen her friends since Nathan's funeral. Understandable, though: Winnie likely still needed the support, and that simply wasn't something Jay could provide while on the clock. While everyone else still worked part-time, they had the availability to be by Win's side.

Jay was glad for this. After all, that heaviness still weighed on her, and she didn't think she could stand well to see her friends' faces, right then.

As she went about straightening up around the register, the brunette spared a glance through the windows. Beyond them, she could see children trying out their new light-up props, a few loud laughs penetrating the glass doors to momentarily break the store's silence. Halloween was going to be a blast, at least for the children. The most that Jay could hope for was perhaps a Halloween attraction or two, a late-night meal, and maybe--MAYBE--some candy to wrap up the night. The sudden closing of a door snapped her from thought, and she looked to find her boss emerging from the back office.

The middle-aged man adjusted his small frames and brushed something off his mustache with his empty hand. Eyes landing on his employee, he greeted her with a smile. "Sure is a quiet one, isn't it? Any complaints while I was in back?" he joked. Jay lightly snickered, "No, sir. All's been good. Just cleaning up a bit, and then going to set on putting some books back in place." The man nodded, continuing to near her and proceeded to hold up a stack of paper bills. "Good to hear. Uh, look, ya don't mind holding down the fort for a moment, do ya? I'm just going to run down the street, swap for some smaller bills. Just to get us by, this last hour. You know as well as I do how we tend to get those last-second 'I need change' folk," he explained, giving the stack a brief shake. That much, he spoke the truth about. Even then, Jay was aware she'd no five or ten-dollar bills in her till. With Halloween around the corner, she practically expected somebody to run in and ask to exchange a $20 for some smaller bills. "I think I can do that much, sir," she reassured her boss, taking a peek at the clock.

"Great. I won't be long; just a few minutes. I'll be right back," her boss confirmed, grabbing his coat and tucking away the money before stepping out. She could handle a few minutes, surely.

In occupying herself, Jay worked on straightening and neatening up several of the displays and discount stands. Books and toys were propped back up, positioned for all to see. Trash was gathered and thrown away, floors swept as she went along. Not long after her boss had gone, she heard the chiming 'DING' of the door, signaling another customer's entrance. "Welcome to PageTurner's," she greeted, having not seen whom had come in. "Just so you're aware, we close in an hour," she added, ceasing her sweeping by a table to gather up some forgotten books. As each one was picked up, she noted the covers, muttering softly to herself. "Natural history museum, Baking for Dummies, some ancient literature..." She flipped one over--and immediately "adopted" a pretend Transylvanian accent, "Ah, good evening, Lord Dracula. You appear to be in de wrong section." The books were stacked in her arms, the brunette putting aside her cleaning tasks for the sake of seeing these books back to their proper sections. Soon down to two books, Jay discovered she'd have to cross the entirety of the second floor to put her final books away.

How odd it was, that she hadn't seen her current customer, this whole time. Perhaps they were simply using the restroom?

No matter.

Up the stairs and down the aisles, she walked. One book down, one to go. Right by the same aisles, she wandered, humming to herself--instant to silence herself at the moment she'd noticed something large scurry by the other end of her aisle. Her head snapped its direction, but she hadn't caught sight of whatever it was. "I'm sorry?" she began, slightly sarcastically. "Y-you wanna run that by me, again?"

Nothing. Absolutely...nothing. The book in hand was readjusted to sit nestled in an arm. Another minute, she waited, listened. Still, nothing else happened. However, curiosity had a way of getting the best of her, and she soon opted to inspect this mysterious anomaly, herself. Yet, no sooner had she taken two steps down her aisle in question did something come flying, CRAWLING, up the row of shelves toward her! Brows raised and eyes widened, Jay hurried backwards and up onto a table, sparing herself from capture as the limbed...THING crashed into the chairs she hadn't yet swung up into place on the table's surface. She winced at the sound that resulted. "I know that had to hurt..." Her breath caught in her throat as a hand--a ROTTING hand--set black-nailed fingers on the table's edge. The flesh was very clearly dead, pus and bodily fluids seeping from open wounds. The hand led into a ripped jacket sleeve, fingers tensing as they pulled up on the weight of their owner. Long, wet hair hung down over this thing's decayed face, eyes clouded over, the nasal cavity and jaws nothing but exposed bone. With a stomach-churning squelch, the thing's jaws opened, something unidentifiable oozing from within. It gargled, trying to emit a sound.

Upon realizing what it was, Jay pinned her book to her chest, widened eyes never shifting from the creature, before her. A shiver crawled up her spine, and her lips parted, mouth slowly falling open as if to scream.

Then...

"Story time!" she announced, taking her book and lifting it over her head to slam it down on the creature's. It connected with a loud pop, forcing the thing down and under the table. Shifting herself to rest on her knees, Jay sighed in relief, her book in both hands. "Ugh...floor-crawlers are the WORST," she mumbled, adjusting her glasses. When she didn't hear any further sounds from the horror beast, she curiously leaned forward to peer down. It was no longer there.

"Hiya, Jay~"

Huh. She'd heard THAT voice, before. She quickly shot up-right and turned her upper body, catching sight of that silver-garbed clown, once more. He stood at the other side of her table, hands having sprouted claws, and mouth opened impossibly wide, showcasing sharp teeth straight from a horror movie. Their gazes met, deep-blue with bright gold. Their next actions were simultaneous. His jaws parted, opening wide enough to swallow her head whole, and he lunged forward. The arm that had been holding her remaining book swung around to lodge the hard-back object in-between those frightening teeth, sacrificing its cover in place of her flesh. As the clown recoiled to pry her "offering" from his teeth, Jay jumped down from the table, making a mad dash for the stairs. About halfway down, she peered back up at the second floor. He was still there, gold eyes bleeding into red as those jaws fell open, releasing a blood-chilling roar. While she'd needed to take the stairs, he simply vouched for leaping down off of them, landing just feet behind her. Undeterred, the brunette ran to try and lose him among the displays and bookshelves. Anything to give her enough time to make for the front doors.

Behind her, the clown--Pennywise, his name was--had dropped to all fours, choosing to pursue her like a feral beast to its prey. "Come back, Jay. I just want to play~" he taunted in a jovial tone. His target didn't skip a beat. "Yeah: with your dinner! Which I'm NOT gonna be!" she shouted back, fearless in her response. In her attempt to flee, she relocated her broom from earlier, failing to think twice before arming herself with it. Halting in the children's section of books, she turned in place, searching around herself for the clown. Luck was holding her in favor, as she'd turned in time to toss up the broom's handle. In that same second, Pennywise had chomped down on it, clawed hands taking hold of the broom, as well. His glare met with her nervous gaze, and she offered a half-hearted smirk.

Before putting every ounce of strength into shoving him backwards into one of the standing cases. Adrenaline was a powerful chemical when called upon.

"Clean up on Aisle 5!" Jay oddly enough called out, taking her chance to run for it as books poured from their places on their shelves and rained down on her pursuer. A furious snarl followed her, to which she'd tried not to peer back and see if the clown was still chasing her. Around the register's counter and down another aisle, she ran, the broom still in hand. The doors weren't far away. Just had to round this one bookcase, and--

The door bell chimed, just as Jay had rounded the case's corner. Her boss had returned, stunned by her rush to the door. "Whoa, there! Everything okay?" he greeted her, worry on his face. Her run ceased and morphed into having her lean against the bookcase. "Uh, yeah. I'm good, sir. I, uh...I was just upstairs, cleaning. And...I thought...thought you were a customer," she excused, regaining her breath and trying to calm her racing heart. "Huh. Well, no need to rush, especially downstairs. You might hurt yourself," he reminded her, making for the register. "Anyway, I got our change. I'll man the register for ya while you finish cleaning up."

Good. Because now she had a whole aisle to check on!

With a nod, Jay made way for the children's section--the last place she'd seen Pennywise, and where she expected to find dumped books. She saw neither the monstrous clown, nor the pile of books. In fact, the aisle looked as they'd last left it; not a book on the floor. Her short brows furrowed. "Huh..." Oh, but what about the book, upstairs? The one she'd thrown in her place? Carting the broom with her, she ascended the stairs to the second floor, thankful for the distraction as another customer entered, laughably asking to break down a $40. What luck...

The table on which she'd taken refuge was also back to normal. Not a chair out of place. Or crashed into. The book, however, WAS still there, fallen face-down on the floor. Body recovering from the adrenaline boost, Jay neared the object, and knelt to pick it up. Both sides of the cover bore deep puncture marks. Bite marks. Marks that the brunette let a few fingers trail across. Her eyes partly closed, brows raised.

"How curious..."

She was officially intrigued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to push myself to type this one. Took me two days to get through my "don't wanna" slump. It happens, sometimes. But here ya go, another chapter. Hopefully, I'm doing the clown some justice.
> 
> And seriously, Jay? What's WRONG with you? You were supposed to be running, SCARED!


	6. Prepare to Scream

"Anyone make plans for Halloween?" Toby asked, the group's silence broken by the clinking of spoons against ceramic mugs. It was the morning before the 31st, and the four friends had arranged to meet at a local diner for breakfast. The mood that had settled overhead was a dull one, contrasting to the lively nature that the four generated when together. Not that they were at fault; Winnie was still accepting the loss of her brother, and everyone else just looked and felt tired. Worn out. It hadn't been a pleasant last few weeks.

"I was supposed to take Nathan trick-or-treating, but..." Winnie sighed, eyes stuck to her mug.

Toby only nodded, hinting that she needn't say more. "You still up for doing something? I've got discount coupons to ScreamFest, but I, eh...kinda don't want to go, alone."

At this, Jay smirked from her seat beside him. "What? Not as big a brave boy as you thought you were?"

He tensed. "Hm...okay, maybe not."

"They're just people in costume, Lawrence."

"I just don't like having things jump out at me, Jay."

Ignoring their little friendly banter, Winnie gave him a shrug, "I dunno. I might, might not. Depends on how I'm feeling, tomorrow. You know how it comes and goes. Otherwise, it might just be some late-night horror flicks and popcorn." She looked to Victor, whom was playing absentmindedly with his spoon. "What about you?"

He blinked to attention, sticking said spoon back in his coffee. "Hm? Oh! Uh...I actually haven't thought about it. My folks keep pushing me to drive them over to a get-together with some of their friends. Gives me practice behind the wheel, they claimed. If I'm lucky, I might sneak out, try some of those Slime Shots they're offering, downtown."

Winnie lifted a brow at him, head still resting in her palm, "You're not old enough to drink yet, Vic."

"Heck, why not live a little bit, this year? One shot can't kill me, not like the heart attacks they'll be dishing out, tomorrow night." He peered around at the others' surprised glances. "...Fine. One shot, then I'll be joining Winnie for those movies. Too old to trick-or-treat, anyway."

"Not up for ScreamFest?" Toby offered once more, to which Victor only shook his head. "Working for most of tomorrow, and then I have to be in, the next morning. I probably won't have the time to waste, standing in line." Understandable, but Toby couldn't help but feel shot down. Even without a word, Jay could read his emotions like a book. "I'll go, Lawrence. Shouldn't have you go all by your lonesome~" she teased. Her friend lightly smirked, at least perking up in the slightest, "Thanks, Jay."

There was a faint sound from Winnie's phone, which she then picked up to check. After viewing her concerned expression, Victor spoke up, "Everything alright?" The dark-haired girl glanced from him to her phone. "Eh, it's Mom. She's having another breakdown, showing me all the pictures of Nathan, over the years. She's gotten into the habit of worrying herself over me. I have to keep texting her, let her know I'm still breathing."

"Huh! What with what's happened, lately? She has every right to be worried," commented Toby as he took another bite from his plate.

Winnie nodded, reaching to pull off her beanie cap, "Yeah, she does. Four more kids have vanished since Nathan's funeral. Nobody's found out anything."

"Wild animal attack?" wondered Jay.

"We aren't sure. That's what they're passing these occurrences off as, based on what they've learned from Nathan. A bear, maybe a large predatory cat. The wounds point to either."

Jay felt that guilt in the pit of her stomach, again. It was no bear, no large cat. She KNEW exactly what it was; she still kept the book littered with bite marks. Proof of the "something" that was currently hunting the locals of Derry. Yet, her jaws remained clenched shut. She would not speak of It. If she did, she was almost certain her "pack" would turn on her, blame her for Nathan's fate. She knew, and had known--even before the boy's death. So, she chose to let them believe in some bear or large cat.

"And they're still going to permit outdoor activities for Halloween?" Victor frowned, brows furrowed.

"Local news stated they had people out there, looking. They find a potential culprit, the exception's been approved to go ahead and shoot it, dead," Winnie confirmed. Jay still didn't speak, remaining silent and busying her mouth with her now-cold meal. "Did they take into consideration any other...potential causes?" Victor continued, instead. "Like what?" Winnie prompted. At that, the ginger tensed, appearing nervous. "W-well, um..." He cleared his throat. "Y'know, my grandpa's...he's mentioned before how he believes Derry's cursed." Both Winnie and Toby groaned, Jay still silent as she ate. "I know, I know. You guys don't believe that, in the slightest. But...what if he was right? I mean, it's been mostly children that have disappeared, right?"

Toby gulped down another swig of his drink. "What do YOU think it is?"

"Well..." Victor again played with his spoon, swirling the cooling liquid in his mug. "I think someone had already written about it. You remember that book Jay said she couldn't touch?"

Said female's jaws paused their chewing.

"The 'silver edition'? Yeah, I remember," Toby agreed. "Wait..." He snickered. "You think a book monster's taken residence in Derry?"

"I'm not saying THAT, of course. I just mean it's a possibility. Think about it: what happens in the book is kinda happening, right now," Victor then explained. "Kids are disappearing, and most folks aren't giving it a second thought."

Jay doubted anyone in her "pack" had bothered to read that book. Few had, what with the reputation it presented to the public eye. "Written by a survivor", it was once stated. Nowadays, it was known to be "written by a maniac". A story lost to lunacy, as most thought. It had still perked her interest, and she'd tried to give it a read between customers. Not the "silver edition", of course.

"Hm. Well, then I guess I'll be on the look-out for space clowns on my way to work," Toby joked, pushing aside his empty plate and standing. "I'll be seeing you guys, later. Catch you back here before ScreamFest, Jay?"

The brunette nodded, suddenly not feeling hungry enough to finish her last few bites. A part of her WANTED to confirm everyone's suspicions--or at the very least, Victor's. Yet, even as Toby walked off to pay his bill, she had to wonder to herself...if she told them, would they believe her?

****************************************************

Halloween night was FREEZING.

That made Jay thankful she'd chosen a coat over a jacket. Something her friend and companion for the night hadn't thought about, which explained why he was shifting around in their place in line. He reminded Jay of the kids she'd seen, trying their best to "hold it" long enough to find a restroom. "Thought you said three cups of coffee would be enough?" she smirked, eyeing Toby. "Should have been. Was, last time," he excused, hands shoved in his hoodie's pockets. "You look like you're trying not to wet yourself," Jay commented, subtly. "I might in another twenty minutes," he admitted, trying to peer around the line of people ahead of them. Jay could guess he was looking for the restroom, himself. "Because of the coffee?" she guessed. The blond shook his head, "Because of whatever's going to jump out and spook me."

She had to laugh. Toby wasn't known as a "scaredy cat".

"Alright, so what's this year's bet gonna be?" he questioned, hoping to kill time as they waited in line. "Letting you decide this time, since...last year..." He trailed off.

"Since last year only won me an unwanted 'Number One fan'," the brunette finished, praying to the heavens that said "fan" wasn't around, this evening. There wasn't much to do for Halloween in Derry, if you were an adult. Parties and attractions, mostly. ScreamFest was scheduled to last well into the night, so...there was an unfortunate chance. "Okay...first one to scream buys the winner a Frankenstein sundae," she said, casting him a sly glance over her glasses. "That's a lot of ice cream, Jay. Think you could handle it?" Toby tossed back. She shrugged, "I'd be satisfying my sweet tooth, trick-or-treat or not." Her companion stood, appearing to mull it over. Eventually, he offered her a hand to shake on it. "Deal."

The remainder of their wait was shortened by casual commentary and watching costumed actors freak out those standing in line, behind them. The attraction itself was set up to resemble an old village, vacant buildings providing cover for the actors in question. Occasionally, Toby withdrew his phone to snap pictures of those costumes he found impressive. Soon enough, he and Jay were only three groups away from admission. Finally--the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel!

...Shattered only by the sight of a particular person among the groups ahead of them.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Because it would seem as though the future Mrs has finally made her appearance~" came Ray's voice, the dirty-blond himself leaning to catch an eyeful of Jay. The young woman could only roll her eyes. Of COURSE Ray would be there. Why wouldn't he be? He'd dressed warmly as well, standing with one of his "crew mates" and his girlfriend. He hadn't donned any Autumn head wear, as he didn't want to ruin his out-dated hairstyle. "Why don't ya hop on up here with us? I can dish out enough for another ticket," Ray offered her, gesturing her to approach. "Don't worry, I'd keep ya safe from any creepy crawlies~"

Jay thankfully, obviously, shook her head. "I can handle my own, thanks."

"Aw, come on. It'll be fun, you'll see~"

"She said no, Norman. Leave it at that," Toby cut in, unable to tolerate the young car salesman, either. The two men had never gotten along, always butting heads since their first meeting in October of the previous year. It had been Toby's idea to attend the party at which he and Jay had encountered Ray, so he'd felt responsible for the constant harassment Jay was always receiving. She was in no way interested in the salesman's success, and wanted no part of it. But Ray was a stubborn one, driven. When he caught sight of something--or someone--he wanted, he wouldn't be persuaded, otherwise.

To Toby's words, Ray turned his attention over, nearing the other man with an unfriendly demeanor. "Someone thinks he's tough, does he? Well, you're lucky we're in public, 'cause I'd be showing you what it's gonna take to stand by her side." A side-glance was cast toward Jay. "But I'll be polite, this time. Let ya guard my little treasure~ Keep her safe for me, would ya?" He patted Toby's shoulder, then returned to his group, giving Jay a flirtatious smirk. She faintly bared her teeth in a scowl. Only when Ray and his pals had bought their tickets and entered did Toby speak next.

"I'm so sorry."

Jay knew what for.

"He'll give up, eventually. They always do," she reassured him, leading him toward the booths. Toby hated how she had said that. 'Always do'. Deep inside, he prayed that much wasn't true. Still, he didn't comment further as he and Jay paid their fee, proceeding inside to enter the 'haunted house'.

******************************************************

Out through the back door of the "house", Toby fled, Jay walking out after him in a fit of laughter. Behind her, a costumed ghoul hurried out, revving up the chainsaw he'd been toting. Ahead of her, Toby cried out in swears, aiming directly for the hayride. Realizing Jay wasn't fazed by the chainsaw, the ghoul gave up his chase, retreating back inside the "house" for the next group of patrons. Meanwhile, Jay continued her casual stroll, catching up with her friend as he was seeking his second wind. "Got you good, did they?~" she picked at him as he stood up. "...May...maybe. That freakin' jumpscare came outta nowhere," he excused, quieting his panting. "There's a reason they're called jumpscares, Lawrence," the brunette giggled, granting him another moment before they moved to board the hayride. "Besides, I can practically taste that sundae, already~" she tacked on as she settled on a bench-like seat. "Hey, I may have sworn once or fourteen times, but I DIDN'T scream," Toby defended himself, playfully jabbing her collar bone.

"Ah, I'll give you that much. You didn't scream."

"Thank you."

Silently, they waited as other patrons departed the "house" and made their way onto the ride. When the trailer was full, another ghoul stepped out to close it off, then signaled to the tractor driver that he was good to go. With a brief lurch, the tractor drove onward, pulling the trailer along. Through darkened forests, they rode, catching sight of the various ghoulish scenes. Some scary, some funny. They stared in awe at some of the special effects, the light shows that were put on display. Jay had bust up in laughter again as a horse and rider dressed at the Headless Horseman ran up beside the trailer, effectively scaring Toby. "Shoot, I didn't even hear that come up!" he claimed, busy watching the Horseman ride off into the darkness. A few sections later, the tractor came to a stop, the trailer opened to let the riders off. As people stood and stepped off the trailer, Jay curiously looked to see what still awaited them. Walls of stacked hay bales blocked her view of the remaining attraction, but the stationary scarecrow positioned by the entrance was enough of a clue.

The Corn Maze.

Beside her, she heard Toby groan. "You know how much I hate mazes?" he rhetorically asked, following her off the trailer and through the maze entrance. They proceeded slowly, after momentarily hearing Ray's voice from further inside the walls. "Let the troll go first," Toby stated. Jay couldn't agree, more. Along their slowed trek, they both quietly listened to ensure Ray and his pals had gone before even daring to round another corner. Neither wanted to run into the Troll, here.

But they DID run into a few scares, actors leaping from their hiding places to give them--or Toby--quite the fright. All Jay did was laugh at her friend's "torment".

Countless dead-ends later, and certain that Ray's group had long gone, the two found themselves wandering down a long stretch of the maze, inhabited by several standing scarecrows. Some with glowing eyes, some not. "Alright, if ANY of you straw-heads come at me, we're throwing down!" Toby called out, getting Jay to laugh, once more. He kept up his "tough guy" act as they proceeded down the path, sneakers sinking in the damp straw, below. "Keep it up, Lawrence. I think they might actually be afraid of you," Jay teased, smirking at the expression he countered with. Ahead of her, he walked, shooting suspicious stares at every scarecrow at his side. Two of them stood almost back-to-back, one a bit taller than the other. There wasn't a response when he walked by, but with Jay...

She froze just steps away, hearing the crackling of dry straw from behind her. That was odd. At first, she looked expectant to see someone walking up. There was no one. Then she considered the idea that maybe someone on the other side of the walls had made the sound. After all, they weren't alone in the maze. Still...

"Jay? You alright?" Toby called to her from ahead.

She stood in silence, waiting. But...for what? "Yeah. Just hearing things," she pardoned, turning herself to resume her walk. Then, she heard the sound again. Cracking, shuffling, shifting. There still wasn't another person in view. Yet, there WERE--

She peered then to the scarecrows they'd passed. Her body tensed, eyes widened. The tallest one had moved, its head turned--and looking directly at her!

Instantly, she didn't think this was a part of the attraction.

"Lawrence...we should go," she stated, walking backwards and away from the entity in question. "Go? Well, yeah, we can't stay in the maze, forever. Why, what--" The young man halted his words. "One of them a person? 'Cause I already told you guys, I'm liable to throw a punch." He neared Jay's side, jumping in his own skin as the scarecrow that had been watching her lurched forward, prying itself from its post. From its burlap face, black eyes ripped open, stick hands crackling like dried bone as it gained lifelike motion. Its stare never lifted from Jay. It could sense she was not afraid...and it wanted to know why. She, too, knew what it was that was staring them down. Her priority now was to get her pack mate out of the Danger Zone. As if to pull that trigger, the scarecrow's face tore open in a jagged-toothed maw, screeching as roaches and other bugs spewed from its jaws. "Lawrence, run!" she shouted, pushing him to go as they both took off down the remainder of the path. The creature at their backs wasted no time in pursuing them.

The maze's difficulty had been cranked to 11, what with the pair now having to avoid dead-ends with a monster chasing after. Otherwise, these corners would live up to their names. Ever the fastest of the two, Toby led Jay on, assured that she would watch his back--both in the metaphorical and literal sense. That's what made her the "guard dog", after all. Yet, traversing the corn maze was harder, now that there was an actual threat lingering just behind. They survived their share of close-shaves, barely managing to stay out of the monster's clutches in weaving around corners. Certainly, they had to be nearing an exit!

An abrupt appearance of the scarecrow halted Toby in his tracks. In a split-second decision, he turned to shove Jay off their path, leading the monstrosity away and further back within the maze. Not a move Jay counted on. Grunting, she got back to her feet, checking for her glasses before peering around for sight of Toby. Gone. He was nowhere to be seen. "Lawrence?" She wandered, risking capture. That, she didn't fear, didn't worry about. She just wanted for Toby to get out of this, alive and in one piece. "Lawrence!" she tried again, hearing nothing. Sounds were distant. Where had they gone? Focused on her hearing, Jay walked on, hoping her friend had lost the beast, and that they could seek themselves out of this maze. However, the quiet dragged out longer than she liked. She couldn't even hear any heavy breathing, panting.

Until finally, she heard footsteps. Just around the corner from her. She moved faster than she could think, immediately speaking out to ask her friend if he were okay. Her only response came in the form of a gloved hand at her throat, shoving her back against a wall of wooden boards. A second hand took hold of her, hoisting and pinning her off the ground. The rough texture of the wood dug into her back, causing her to wince. She knew whom had her captured, but let her eyes follow the frilly sleeve of It's costume and up to It's face. The clown's gold eyes locked with hers. For a moment, she couldn't find the words to speak. Or breath, for that matter. But when she did...

"N-never pegged you as a fan."

Her eyes narrowed as he leaned close, giving her a brief sniff. He didn't like her scent, slightly recoiling with a shake. 'You don't exactly smell the greatest either, pal,' Jay thought. The pressure on her chest eased enough for her to catch her breath. "What do you want from me?!" she got out, as equally perplexed as she was angered by his persistent presence. She wasn't expecting an answer...

"Your fear."

...but she got one.

With his words, she ceased her struggling, expression morphing in confusion. Her captor faintly lowered his head, piercing gaze never faltering from his target. "But you won't give it to me...!" he lowly snarled. What, give him her fear? Was he just mad that she wasn't scared of him? "What, is that all...? You hunt me down to try to get me to fear you?" she wondered, realization soon striking her. "You're curious." Confusion shifted then, replaced with slight aggression. "Well, joke's on you, clown. I don't have Coulrophobia, nor am I afraid of floor-crawlers and bug-stuffed scarecrows." In his building rage, Pennywise let slip another snarl, this time in threat. What a surprise it was, that his prey then returned a sort of "snarl" of her own!

At least, as much of one that a human could produce, anyway.

How humorous.

"I'll find what it is you fear," he said, words accompanied by a not-so-friendly grin. A promise. To It, it would be demeaning to be bested by a mortal. They all feared SOMETHING, and whatever this aggravating thorn in It's side feared most, It was determined to exploit. Momentarily averting his focus, Pennywise turned his head, letting that grin widen to an inhuman extent. Speechless, Jay could only watch as his face seemingly peeled back, opening into a cavern of thousands of jagged teeth. They were not what grabbed her attention, though. Rather, she stared directly at something in the back of his throat. Lights. Three of them. And the longer she stared, the brighter they seemed to grow, as if aware they were being watched. She wasn't sure...what these lights were meant for. What purpose they served. Yet, within moments of seeing them, of them being revealed to her, she felt...

Pain. Agony. A scorching heat rapidly growing unbearable deep within her chest. Her jaw fell open, and she screamed.

This was not the kind of scream he was looking for, no. It held no trace of fear, no panic. It sounded pained, as though the Deadlights were HURTING her. Not an occurrence that happened, before. Typically, those whom saw It's lights made no sound at all, caught up in its grip. Just as she had stated, curiosity won the clown over, and he let his appearance revert to normal--just in time to let his gold eyes catch sight of a bright light quickly dimming in the vast number of veins in her neck. It had reached upward, as if to creep out of her mouth. When the Deadlights were concealed, though, the light died away, as did the pain in her chest. She panted softly in her recovery, concern in her eyes as she stared at him, once more. Waiting his next move. The anger he displayed was gone, replaced by shock. The gold of his eyes had turned a light blue. He realized what he'd just seen, what it was. That 'magnetic pull' he'd felt. He'd found it.

Jay held her breath as she was then released, dropped to land back on her feet. He was letting her go? After everything he'd put her through? Put WINNIE through? She felt enraged, angered. After all that her pack had suffered, why was--

She steadied herself against the wall at her back and glanced up, noticing how Pennywise had then spaced himself from her. His eyes were still blue, but...the grin he held... "So THAT'S why..." he spoke, chuckling. What was why? What was he talking about? She wanted to ask, NEEDED to ask. Her lips parted in motion to let the words out.

"Jay?"

Toby.

Her head turned, focused on his voice. The young man reappeared, stepping from behind a corner. "Lawrence? Are--" She whipped back around to find the clown, only to discover he'd gone. Just like before. She bit back her disappointment. "Are you okay?" Toby asked in nearing her, setting a hand on her back. "I'm...I'm fine. Still alive," she stated, giving up on searching for the clown. "Gosh, I heard you screaming, and I thought..." Toby stopped himself, needing a moment to collect himself. "That thing gone?"

She nodded.

"Thank the Lord! Let's just...let's get out of here, already."

Good idea.

Reunited, the pair hurried to find the exit, relieved to be passing the stationary scarecrows bearing signs. At last, the nightmare was over! "Hey," Toby began, reaching to pat her arm with the back of his hand. "You screamed."

Ah. Yep. Yep, she did. Jay couldn't fight the smile tugging at her lips, and she let a weak laugh slip. Lost the bet, hadn't she? At least her companion was understanding. He let an arm wrap around her, helping to steady her as they walked.

"Y'know, maybe we should just split that sundae. I think we both need it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jay shares a light too, huh? What's that going to mean, now that Pennywise has found out?
> 
> Job's getting busier, the closer we get to Thanksgiving, but I'll work on the next chapter with what time I can spare. ^^


	7. The Evidence

"How much longer did they say they'll be?" Jay asked again, voice loud enough to be heard from the back of Toby's truck.

The vehicle itself was stationary just outside the local park. The same one that had seen to Nathan's demise. It was already mid-November, the ghouls and spooks of Halloween replaced by mint candy canes and the smiling minions of Santa. Christmas was coming early--long before Turkey Day had even come and gone. It was also a weekend, seeing Jay and Toby free from work. A perfect time to get together, and maybe pester their friends into joining them. To answer her question, Toby withdrew his phone, giving it a peek.

"Ten minutes. Win's gotta get some gas," he stated through his truck's open window. They were both seated in the truck, originally. Until Jay had suggested the idea of sitting in the truck bed, keep look-out in case their "friend" from Halloween decided to show up. For once, ScreamFest had lived up to its name. "They just HAD to live on the other side of Derry," the brunette mumbled, letting her head fall back against the rear window. "Their parents bought the houses, Jay. They didn't," Toby addressed, slouching in the driver's seat. The engine was turned off, the radio silent. All that broke said silence were the occasional cries from kids at the park, the tidbit of a song from a passing car.

At least the weather was comfortable for a November day.

"Besides," he continued, "didn't you choose to live in some little apartment on the outskirts?"

"It's a condo, and it's lacking potential child victims," Jay corrected, lightly shifting in her jacket. "Nothing there to lure in our 'good buddy'. At least, it didn't used to." Her gaze fell to the backpack at her feet. Inside, she'd tucked the book riddled with bite marks, so far her only proof of this thing's existence. Well, that and what she and Toby had witnessed, Halloween night. She hoped and prayed it would be enough to convince her remaining "pack mates" of the danger to come. A wolf's strength lay with its pack, after all. A comfortable silence filled the space between the pair. For once, Jay felt enough at ease to rest her head against the window of the truck. If the temperature wouldn't be dropping soon, she would almost be tempted to sleep, right then and there.

"What did that thing do to you, anyway?"

Her eyes, having closed, opened at Toby's question. "What did what thing do to me?"

"You know what thing. The scarecrow? Back in the corn maze?"

The scare--OH. He hadn't seen...? No. She supposed he didn't. Otherwise, he'd have been aware that it was a clown that attacked her.

"I came running when that thing stopped chasing me, and I heard you scream. When I reached you, though, whatever it was had disappeared," he continued, head turned her way but unable to meet her gaze. "So what happened?"

Jay stared down at her jacket pockets, which then housed her hands. "What happened?", indeed. What HAD happened? What was meant to happen? Perhaps...if she'd spent more time reading that book, she'd have some idea. "I don't know," she finally said, unable to describe that exact encounter. Why HAD the clown let her go? And worse yet, why had he looked so...

Relieved?

Jay snapped to when Winnie's jeep pulled up near them. "They're here," she told Toby, whom then opened his door and climbed out. Winnie and Victor did the same, approaching as Jay momentarily stood to drop the truck's tailgate, giving her friends a place to sit. "What's the emergency?" Victor asked, after initially greeting the other pair. Toby neared the rear of his truck, casually leaning against the tail light. "We think we know the culprit behind...well, behind Nathan," he began. Winnie had briefly halted herself in the act of jumping up onto the open tailgate, proceeding to do so and sit herself down. "They found a bear?" she wondered, brushing back her curly hair. Toby shook his head and crossed his arms, "Not a bear. Not a large cat, either."

"Well, then what?"

The white-blond turned their focus to Jay, whom promptly took over. "Lawrence and I think...Frankie may be onto something. Maybe he's right as far as what's behind all the missing children," she spoke. Both Winnie and Victor blinked and stared in bewilderment. "Y-you think my grandpa was right?" Victor stuttered. "Hm...well, maybe not cursed, as he'd put it. But there IS something plaguing Derry. Something that's turned this town into its personal hunting grounds. And it's no animal," Jay went on, reaching for her bag. It was unzipped rather noisily, its owner pulling from it her book in question. "Have a look, and tell me if these match any animal known to man." She tossed the book to Winnie, said female able to catch it. Instantly, Winnie practically gawked at the ruined covers. "Sheesh! What bit this?" she muttered, turning the object over.

"We don't know, really. I mean, we've seen it, but...we're not sure what It is," Jay explained as both Winnie and Victor experimentally touched the marks.

"Could be that monster from those books we've been talking about. Same one Jay refuses to touch," Toby filled in with a shrug. It sounded ridiculous, and would have been, had he not been chased by...whatever It was.

"What, you too? Wasn't it YOU whom thought the suggestion was stupid?" Victor shot back at Toby.

"At first, yeah. I guess you'd change your mind too if you were suddenly being chased by a living scarecrow," the blonde deflected. Nonetheless, Victor drew his phone to take pictures of the book's cover. There were far too many fang impressions to rule it off as an animal. Far too needle-sharp and far too thin, as well. As if a shark had exchanged its teeth for enormous needles. "I'll search the Web for anything useful," he stated, immediately beginning his task. "You said you saw it, right? What was it?" Winnie piped up, opening the book to see if the marks had punctured straight through the pages. "I don't know," Jay repeated, quick to add on. "It apparently knows how to change its form. For the both of us back on Halloween, we saw it as a living scarecrow." Toby nodded his confirmation. "However, it had appeared to me a few times, before that. Last time...it had been a clown," the brunette finished, gesturing for the book when the others shot her puzzled looks. She then stuck a hand in her bag for a pen, opening the book for a back page. On it, she began to sketch from memory, recalling what this clown--what Pennywise--looked like.

"He stood taller than any of us, was kinda lanky, wore some kinda costume from an era I don't think it could decide on. He was there the day I found Nathan's body, and he was there again on Halloween night. Except for the latter encounter, he wasn't a clown, but took the form of one of the prop scarecrows. He'd used that form to separate the two of us, then zeroed in on me." Satisfied with her sketch, Jay turned the book around for her friends to see. "By the time he'd caught me, he'd already taken on this form. 'Pennywise', it's calling it."

The trio stared and observed, confused with what they were seeing. A clown? Of all things?

"It had paid me a visit at work, too," Jay admitted. "Tried to take a bite out of me, when I'd sacrificed the book. He was gone by time my boss had returned from a short outing, but the bite marks remained. My only physical proof that this creature exists, so far."

"Wait, wait--this thing found you, before?" Winnie questioned, receiving a nod. "And not once had this thing managed to kill you."

Jay shrugged a shoulder, somewhat rolling her eyes, "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Why did it spare you, but kill Nathan?"

"...I wish I knew, Win. I wish I knew what this thing was, on top of that. It seems to me, though, that the clown form is It's favorite. This last time It found me, I was sure it was going to eat me. But then, I saw something, felt something. And it just...stopped."

Toby lifted a brow, "Felt something?"

"Pain. Sharp, burning. Something nestled right in here." Jay lifted a hand in her explanation, letting it curl in a fist and tap against her chest. "That's why I had been screaming. Something in here HURT. And just after that, Pennywise ceased his attack, dropped me. Then you found me, Lawrence."

The young man lifted his head in some realization. That explained why he hadn't seen this clown, that night. "What was the 'something' you saw?" he then pushed.

Jay's expression morphed in thought. "A light. No...three lights. Blinding. And then came the pain."

Lights? Lights that triggered pain? What was she talking about?

Both men recoiled at Winnie's abrupt shriek. None had to ask the cause, as the image Jay had drawn then came to life! Drawn eyes burned a bright gold, something staining and dampening the paper as sketched lips opened and widened in a vile grin. The eyes then turned black, dripping like ink as its body shifted to assume a more threatening posture. Preparing for an attack. The book was slammed shut, Jay holding it closed. In her chest, she felt her heart pound. Her eyes lifted, gauging her friends' reactions. All of them looked as though the color had drained from their faces, Winnie looking as though she were about to cry, again. Well, if THAT little display wasn't enough proof...!

Jay faintly licked her lips. "Win?"

Brown eyes locked with her blue ones.

"Do you still have your library card?"

Victor swallowed, finding his voice. "The library? W-why do you need to go there? You work at a book store."

The brunette sighed, "What WE need to find, we're not going to find at PageTurner's. Whatever this thing is, what it wants, and what it's doing here, we're only going to learn at the library. They should have copies of the town's records. Maybe they'll have recorded when this thing first emerged."

The friends exchanged glances, eventually nodding their agreement. "Good idea. Vic and I will meet you guys over there," Winnie said, hurrying to get down off the truck and drag Victor back with her to her jeep. Toby, meanwhile, gave Jay another look before moving to start up his truck. Before tucking the book away, Jay reopened it, flipping to the last page.

The sketch, and any trace of damage, was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took WAY too long, but I guess I can only blame the holiday rush (and slight procrastination). Work's been crazy with Thanksgiving traffic, but I survived. I also just celebrated my 29th birthday. Shame that it was a bittersweet day, what with my father having forgotten, and I having spent most of that day at work. ;-;
> 
> Thanksgiving at least was more forgiving. I got off in time to sit and eat with family, which I didn't get to do, these last few years. It was a nice change. ^^
> 
> Anyway, I'm not letting my guard down, yet. Christmas is right around the corner. Work may get crazy, again. Thanks for being patient with these chapters, though. I know it's frustrating to have to wait, but I'm doing the best I can. <8P


	8. Homework

Winnie was first to lead the group into the town's library. It wasn't as packed as it usually was, what with school dying down in preparation for the holidays. A few tables sat several young adults, a few men and women, sometimes a member of the elderly. It wasn't exactly quiet, either. Librarians here weren't so strict as to ban music or videos--so long as the volume was kept reasonable. Thanks to this, bits of people's music were heard as the group of four entered the building. For a moment, the tension and faint panic they were feeling was alleviated, a sense of normalcy replacing it.

Without further instruction, Winnie walked ahead to present her card to the librarian.

"Another term paper?" the woman at the desk assumed, hair tied up in a bun. Clearly, Winnie was a regular. The Hispanic woman just shook her head, "My friends and I need to pay a visit to the archives." The librarian let a brow raise in suspicion, "Whatever for?" She peered down at the card Winnie then slapped down on the counter. "Finals. My history professor wants to test my knowledge of Derry, and I'd like to be ready for that test," Winnie lied, pulling off her beanie hat. She knew how much the librarian hated hats in the building. For whatever reason.

"And...they all need to go with you?" The woman cast a side glance to the rest of the group.

"They've offered to help me look for references. The more I can learn, the better I'll be for the finals. I've explained the rules to them, already."

Winnie played her cards well.

The woman's lips pursed, hesitantly standing. "Twenty minutes, tops," she stated, gesturing them to a door behind the counter. "We won't be long," Winnie promised, quick to urge her friends into the back room. She was the volunteer to shut the door when everyone else had wandered in, suddenly paranoid of all of the outside occupants. If this thing could change its form, like Jay and Toby had said, then there was no telling if it was one of those people settled at the tables. Heck, Winnie may have been communicating with it!

"What's first?" Victor asked.

"What else? We start with what's already known about Derry. A starting point, then we'll go from there," replied Winnie, already brushing passed him to search the shelves, beyond. The archives wasn't too large a room, but it was cluttered enough to the point one could get lost, if not careful. "Start with what we already know? We're seriously engaging in a history lesson, right now?" Victor repeated, tacking on his own question. "Okay, then. Here's what I've been told, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong: Derry was a logging town in the beginning, existing long before any of us. Then, sometime in the early 1900's, the ironworks exploded, for some reason," he ranted, keeping the annoyance in his voice to a minimum.

"Killing over a hundred people, yes," Winnie spoke, stepping up onto a ladder to begin digging through books and files.

"Isn't that technically when people began disappearing?" Toby wondered. A tidbit all four of them knew, thanks to numerous adults telling them so, over the years. Not that much effort went into searching for those missing, of course. "That's what I was thinking, too. So that's where we'll start," Winnie agreed, drawing forth a rather thick book. Rejoining them, she set it down on the archives' table, switching on a desk lamp and opening the book. Victor and Toby huddled closer, while Jay remained spaced from them. Not that she wasn't curious, but she'd taken it upon herself to watch her pack's backs. Avoid the element of surprise, if they could. Especially when they weren't sure yet what they were dealing with.

"Ah, see? Early 1900's, just as I said," Victor stated, tapping a page's picture.

"During an Easter egg hunt? Harsh," Toby commented.

"And yet, no omelettes were made, that day," Jay put in, expressionless.

The trio cast her various looks. "You're not funny, Jay," Winnie told her. "Tsk--I'm never funny," the brunette clarified in turn, hands in her pockets. "Probably not, but she IS alive--and she's encountered this thing more times than we have," replied Toby, shifting the group's focus back to the book. "Still wonder why that was? Countless children have died or gone missing, Nathan one of them. Why did It spare her?" Winnie mumbled, somewhat to herself. A few more pages were flipped, the trio letting their eyes scan the pictures. Nothing substantial jumped out at them, until Winnie flipped again to a certain page, a particular image. "Hey, Jay. Is this the clown you were talking about?" She repeatedly tapped on the picture.

Cued in, Jay stood from her spot against the wall and stepped close to lean in, get a better look at the image in question. Black and white, it depicted a man standing with a small girl. Behind them was an advertisement for "Pennywise the Dancing Clown", complete with a poster of said clown. Granted, the ad was a bit cartoon-like, but the details were all there. "Looks a little different than what's shown, but yes. That's basically him," she confirmed, adjusting her glasses. "Well, whether we're dealing with THE clown or not, this was where the character started. A circus, obviously. This particular one was popular, for its time. Had everything, including a Freak Show," Winnie went on to explain.

"Freak Show?" Victor asked.

"Mm-hm. I don't know for how long it had kept the act, but for the while it was in effect, it had offered shelter to many of those with weird defects, diseases, abilities. Characteristics that made them stand out among the public, and not in the good way." Leaving the book open, Winnie returned to her ladder, pushing it several steps down the aisle and ascending it to grab a heavy white binder off the shelf. "I took a look at this once, but never dug through the whole thing." Back at the table, she set it down and opened it. "There ya go. Just about everyone on record that had at one time been a part of the Freak Show."

The plastic sleeves inside housed every sort of imagery and documentation of every expected Freak Show act: The Bearded Lady, the man with elastic skin, an albino, another man with an absurd number of piercings, a couple that ate strange--and sometimes disgusting--objects. All explained away by mental or physical health conditions. Then Winnie neared the latter half of the binder, and Jay suddenly reached to stop her. "Wait! Go back," she instructed, interest perked. Nobody questioned her as Winnie flipped the page back. A man by the name of Alexander Wolfe was put on display before them. "Alexander Wolfe? Hey, isn't that--" Toby began.

"My great-grandfather," Jay interrupted, brows furrowed. "But why would he be in here as a Freak Show act?"

With a shrug, Winnie searched through the paragraphs for answers. "Worked in the construction business in his youth...typically railroads, which was his occupation up until his early thirties, when he was diagnosed with a health condition that afflicted him with excess body hair, primarily around the face. Despite the measures taken to manage this condition, Wolfe soon quit construction to take up a job as part of a Freak Show act in a traveling circus. He called himself the 'Wolfman'."

Seriously?

"My folks never told me about that," Jay admitted, now intrigued. "I used to ask about my great-grandpa, but my father wouldn't have it. Kept saying he 'was very sick and had been locked away'."

"Your old man's grandfather?" Toby guessed. The brunette nodded, "No surprise that it had been prompted by a school project. The teacher wanted all of us to make a collage of our family tree, so I naturally had to ask my parents about our deceased family members. They wouldn't discuss Great-Grandpa."

Hm, that was strange. Why wouldn't they?

"Any idea why not?" Victor asked. "Said he'd gone crazy. That they'd shut him up in some mental institute, here in Derry," Jay stated, while Winnie read on through the file. "That, they did. Look here: says he'd lashed out in a frenzy during one of his acts, and ended up mauling someone. Not much is stated about this incident in particular, just that he'd...acted almost like a feral beast?"

"A beast?" Toby peered among the group. "You mean, like...what, a werewolf?"

A few snickers were restrained. "It DOES state he'd displayed characteristics of foaming at the mouth, sharpened canines, and unnatural nail growth. So, I guess we can view it that way," Winnie again shrugged. Three sets of eyes fell on Jay. She met them all with a calm expression. "And all this time, you guys were saying I wasn't~" Blue eyes locked on Toby's. "Going to further mock me about that Silver Edition, now?"

Winnie frowned, eyes partly shut, "Jay, be serious. You had family in the same circus that gave rise to this 'Pennywise' character. I have my doubts we're dealing with the exact same clown, but...if we ARE...do you think he somehow knows you?" Jay couldn't offer an explanation. "My folks never talked about him, or the circus. They wouldn't even talk about Great-Grandpa Alex. Why would they talk about the circus he worked at?" she responded, instead. "And anyway, while his hairy condition was explained, the feral nature and mutant traits weren't. Is that genetic? Can his descendants inherit those traits? And since he was locked up, h-how did I even come to be?"

"Heh--he had an affair with one of the nurses," Victor answered, holding up his phone for the group to see the screen. While they had been talking, he'd been further researching on his phone. Now silent, the group tried to read what all they could. Turned out "Frankie" was right: Alexander had struck up a relationship with one of his volunteer caretakers. A name wasn't provided, but after the head of the institute caught wind of this, the volunteer was terminated from any further practices, ultimately forbidden to be around Alexander, again. "A weird twist on the old 'Beauty and the Beast' tale, eh? Except in this version, Belle wound up with a baby," Victor commented, eventually tucking his phone away when the others had finished reading. "Okay...so a wayward family member had one of my grandparents. That still doesn't explain the last encounter I had with the clown, or what I saw. Felt," Jay spoke, seemingly flustered. "You mean those three lights you saw? I don't think any of us know, either," Toby addressed. "Well, maybe either of these characters' biographies will have the answers? They had come to Derry in the past, so surely there will be something about them in records. Jay, could you check the back shelves? Biographies should still be available, there," Winnie instructed, gesturing passed Jay to the far wall.

With a slight rise of her brows, Jay wordlessly proceeded to do as asked. She didn't know Pennywise's true name, so it was likely best to start with Great-Grandpa Alex. The far wall was well hidden by smaller book cases and stacks of binders and books not yet put away. Hard to tell if someone was present back here, because of that. Jay also couldn't hear what it was her friends chatted on about, their voices muffled by the numerous unsorted files. Not that what they discussed was on her mind, as Jay was too focused on learning more about her great-grandfather. Were the journals even in alphabetical order? No...of course they weren't.

"You're quite the artist, Jay~"

Her body instantly froze, head whipped forward from its previous task of scanning the shelves. Oh, she knew that voice!

The "guilty party" sat on the steps of another ladder, threatening gaze no longer gold, but a light blue. Pennywise was trying to appear friendly. Jay knew better. In one gloved hand, he lifted a sheet of paper. The same paper Jay had sketched on, earlier. "Got my smile, and everything~" he taunted, giving the drawing a slight shake--just to make his bells jingle. "...Sugar..." Jay mumbled, shoulders faintly hunched. He'd come back for her, she sensed. But why? "Hey, guys?" she called out, eyes never leaving the silver-costumed clown before her. Someone called back, but she couldn't decipher whom. "Do any of you have Coulrophobia?" she asked, hands withdrawing from her pockets to press their fingertips together. Pennywise's smile only widened. He didn't move. Neither did she.

Footsteps grew louder at her back.

"Why are you asking about clowns no--oh, GEEZ!" Victor began, only to panic upon spotting the lanky clown in Jay's path. Instantly, he turned and bolted. "Time to evac, people! The circus has come early!"

At that, Jay finally forced herself to turn and run, as well. Ahead of her, the remaining three had hurried to the door, waiting for the brunette to catch up. When she was in their sights, Toby threw open the door, letting his friends pile out, first. "Make for the cars!" he called, slamming the door closed after them. He only barely stopped himself from bumping into Winnie, whom had halted her run. Both Victor and Jay had done the same thing. Before he could ask why, Toby glanced by them to find the other occupants of the library weren't at their tables, anymore. Rather, they all now stood side-by-side, blocking any form of escape route, boxing the four in. They weren't approaching, but it didn't seem as though they were going to let the four by, if any of them wandered too close.

Behind them, the door to the archives creaked open. Only Jay and Toby dared to look back.

"Do you know what time it is?" came the clown's voice. For now, jolly in tone. Gloved hands gripped the door frame, their owner leering in the doorway, grinning mouth slightly drooling.

Neither of them answered. Neither of them had to.

"Time to float~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so badly want to jump straight into the good stuff, but I have to remember to space out the events. Maybe in the next couple of chapters? XD


	9. The Fourth Deadlight

Well...this was quite the predicament.

Mind-controlled people blocking their path out, and a deranged clown at their backs.

Behind Toby, Winnie and Victor whimpered and panicked. Beside him, Jay was baring dull canines, a low growl in the back of her throat. Almost comical, if it weren't for the facts that they had literally just uncovered the truth of her great-grandfather, and that some monstrous clown was targeting her. As to why was still unknown. They would have to find that out, later. For now, they needed an escape plan. Deep-green eyes peered passed the barrier of humans. There was a little space out around the librarians' counter, leading out to more tables. Currently EMPTY tables...

Toby had an idea.

"Guys? You remember the monkey bars we used to hang at in school?"

Nobody answered him, beyond a soft "Hm?" from Victor and a curious glance shot his way by Jay.

"Pretend the tables are those monkey bars. Go!" The white-blond gave his friends a literal shove toward the slim opening between the counter and the wall, volunteering to shove the librarian back as she lunged forward to grab at them. The other three successfully slipped by the counter, greeted with the immediate task of clearing the numerous tables. Over and under them, they climbed and crawled, throwing the chairs behind them to slow the flow of people chasing them down. Not a practical plan, but it was proving effective. Well, at least until Jay had crawled out from below her fourth table, fingers curling over the edge of her last obstacle. Lensed eyes were focused over her shoulder, finding nobody immediately behind her. Yet, when she went to jump over her final table, she sucked air through clenched teeth and recoiled, her back hitting the table she'd emerged from.

Light from outside turned the clown's hair a bright orange, the tall being cutting off her escape with both arms spread across the table's surface, shoulders hunched. "Surprise~" he grinned, his next move meant to be a rushed grab for her. Yet, that too was shattered with a spray of something scented--directly into the clown's eyes. Snarling, he instantly withdrew, hands wiping at his face. "Believe me, it's an improvement," came Winnie's voice from Jay's side, said woman tucking her perfume bottle back in her purse. She then caught hold of Jay's upper arm, tugging her onward. "Go! Keep going!"

Around the growling clown, they hurried, Victor pushing open the front door and urging the others to follow. When all four had vacated the building, Toby barked further instruction, "To the cars! Hurry!" Some of those still pursuing them tripped and fell over the stairs, the group of four managing to reach their respective vehicles. Jay was last to slam shut the door of Toby's truck, the driver in question cranking the engine. With the click of the brunette's seat belt, she risked a peek through the passenger window, startled to find Pennywise suddenly there! There was something demonic about his wide grin, saliva dripping off his bottom lip.

"Floor it!" she cried, thrown back in her seat as the truck lurched forward, tires squealing their protest. Out of the parking lot and onto the main roads, they drove, Winnie's jeep right behind them. In attempt to further lose the clown, Toby led them down back roads, taking old pathways he hoped and prayed he only knew of. Luckily, there were no other vehicles on these roads--giving the fleeing party the privilege of gunning it as fast as they could handle. Only when they had arrived in a clearing, a little spot everyone in Derry knew as 'The Barrens', did the vehicles slow to a sudden halt. The engines were shut off, the passenger door of Winnie's jeep thrown open as Victor ran from inside. He hunched over in the tall grass, abrupt heaving telling the group all they needed to know.

Toby panted softly, slumped over the steering wheel, a hand tightly clenching his keys. At his side, Jay sighed, hands slipping up under her glasses to rub at her eyes. He heard her draw in a breath.

"What does this guy WANT FROM ME?!" she out-right yelled, voice shifting gears from tired to angry.

Before he could answer her, Toby lifted his head to find her throwing open her door, departing the truck in a rage. "Chases us all over town, slaughters Nathan to prod at me! Pops up EVERYWHERE! WHAT DOES HE FLIPPIN' WANT?!" Jay continued to scream, Victor still retching in the weeds as Winnie attempted to soothe him. Toby also climbed out from his seat, rushing to grab Jay by her upper arms. "Hey, Hey! Calm it, Wolfe. Don't lose your cool, now. You can't think straight, like that. And right now, we need you to think straight," he told her, helping to cease her fighting struggle in his grip. Out of the "pack", Jay was most likely to blow a fuse, her patience span far shorter than the others'. This was especially so in situations she couldn't understand, couldn't resolve. A "defense mechanism", as Winnie had once declared it. Instead of growing fearful, Jay simply just got mad. REALLY mad.

Not a word was spoken as Jay stood panting, snuffing out the firecracker that was threatening to explode in her mind. In the meantime, Winnie had gone back to her jeep and returned with a water bottle, handing it to Victor as she softly spoke to him. They were safe now, sure. However, control was starting to slip from their grasp. They wouldn't be able to evade Pennywise, forever. Eventually, he was going to have them all, if not just his primary target. They'd need a plan for when he did. A strategy. "All right, everybody calm down. We got away, we're safe. For now, anyway," Toby spoke up, Victor and Winnie finally rejoining them as the ginger gargled his water. "Disgusting..." Victor cringed, spitting the vile flavor from his mouth. "The clown's gonna come back, at some point. We'll need to be ready when he does. Specifically, we'll need to know what exactly it is he's after. Something Jay's got. Now, we've learned a little about her family tree. Her great-grandfather worked in the same circus as this 'Pennywise' character. Think, guys: why would this clown come after her? What would she have that he wants?"

Jay said nothing, brows furrowed in residual anger. Victor took a moment to catch his breath, gulping down a swig of his water. "We don't have any proof that he knows--or knew--Jay's great-grandfather," Winnie stated, the only one to answer him. "All we know for sure is that he'd only joined the circus after developing some weird physical and mental defect."

"Right. But there had to be a trigger behind it all. He couldn't have just woken up one morning as the Wolfman. There had to be a cause behind the mutation. Perhaps...something linking the Wolfe family tree to Pennywise. Something linking him to Jay." Toby peered to the female in question, but all she did in reply was meet his gaze and lift her arms, letting them drop in a shrug. Winnie offered no more than a frown. She didn't know, either. "Grandpa might know," Victor coughed, swallowing another gulp. The remaining trio locked surprised eyes on him. "Well, his books might, I mean. He's gone, but we still have his old house. My folks are patching it up for me; going to grant me ownership when it's ready. But in the meantime, we're still using its storage space. We hadn't removed any of Grandpa's things. Maybe his books are still up in the attic?"

That was better than nothing.

"How far is it from here?" Toby was quick to ask.

To that, Victor peered at their surroundings. "Where are we, right now? The Barrens? It's actually not far from here. We can walk there." The ginger turned to point down the dirt road. "A few minutes that way, actually." The others produced words of agreement, Winnie and Toby locking their vehicles just seconds before Victor moved to lead them on. He was glad to be walking, after THAT hectic ride...

*************************************************

Grandpa Franks' house was small, almost hidden in what forest surrounded it. The setting sun cast warm light through the leaves, giving the vacant house an inviting, cozy aura. It was quiet out here, save for the occasional call of a forest-dweller. Some of the fallen leaves crunched underfoot, the Pack approaching the house as Victor searched through his key ring for his grandpa's key. "It might still be a little chaotic, in there," he forewarned, opening the door to let them all in. The interior reminded them of a log cabin, complete with the fireplace and thick area rug. Despite boxes of belongings placed on tables and chairs, there was still plenty of walk space. "Come in, get comfortable. I'm gonna head up and check the attic. See what I can find," Victor spoke as he closed the door after them. "Don't bother with refreshments. Grandpa didn't leave any," he then clarified, stepping up a short flight of stairs to pull down on a hatch door in the ceiling.

"We'd hate to intrude, anyway," Toby commented, giving the small house a look. With a louder tone, he asked, "You really think your grandpa's going to have the answers, here?"

There was shuffling in the attic space, above.

"Got a strong feeling about it. He claimed to have been a survivor of an encounter with It, after all. Since then, he'd spent his years trying to research this thing." Victor's voice paused. "He didn't find much, other than some books referencing It. If my hunch is right, he still had them stored, up here." There was further shuffling, heavy objects being moved.

"You need some help?" Toby offered, the group's two females clearing what table space they could find.

"No, no, bro. This space is TINY; barely any room to move, up here. Just gimme a second," Victor turned down, the sound of papers shifting following. "All right, where'd ya put 'em, Grandpa? Aha! Bingo!" Further shuffling, then footsteps were heard on the ladder leading into the attic. "Coming down," the ginger called, Toby quick to reach for the books he was toting. "Mum never liked the fact that he'd all these books lying about, so Grandpa shoved them all up in the attic," Victor explained as Toby moved to set the stack on the table Winnie and Jay had cleared. "Why? Did your mom not believe in It's existence?" Jay wondered. "Nah. She always said these things give her a vibe. She just never felt comfortable with them," Victor admitted, nearing the trio as Toby began to sort through the books.

"Heavens, these things could almost pass as epitomes from a video game! How old are they?" the blond male muttered.

"Not quite as old as you think, but they're older than any of us," said Victor, reaching to tap on a prominent symbol on one cover. "Grandpa once told me these were the findings of some tribe called the 'Shokopiwah', but I don't know anything about them. Well, other than they once had to deal with It, before."

"Deal with It?" Winnie repeated, puzzled. "Did they succeed?"

Victor narrowed an eye at her, "It's still here, isn't it?"

Obviously.

Thanks to that little bite of information, Toby chose it as their first source, cracking open the old cover. Most of the text contained wasn't translated, various notes and words scribbled all over the pages. Arrows pointed words to what wasn't translated, some words circled, others scratched out. "Your grandpa's doing?" Toby inquired. "Yep," Victor nodded, simply. "That's what led my folks into believing he was losing it," he then said. Pages were flipped, the group only able to go off of what they could determine from the imagery. Primarily, those of the tribe performing rituals, and those of the same people actively battling some ferocious unknown beast. "Clearly, this tribe did battle with this monster, but other than the evidence of their rituals, I can't tell if anything they did was effective," Winnie mumbled, too focused on the pictures. "That's because it wasn't It they were supposed to fight," Victor then realized, a hand slapped against his forehead. "Geez! That's what Grandpa was trying to find out!" Perplexed, the others watched as he reached for another book, opening it to search for a particular illustration. "Ha! Right here," he announced, setting down the book to point at an image of...

Three fireballs?

"Raining fire?" Toby guessed, Winnie adjusting her gold frames. The ginger shook his head, "No, no. Not fire. Grandpa mentioned them as something called 'The Deadlights', whatever those are."

The blond smirked, "The Deadlights? Is that a band?"

Victor wasn't amused. "No."

"Then what are they?" questioned Winnie.

"I'm not entirely sure, but if Grandpa was right, then this is the clown's life source. Either his heart or soul, if he has either."

Something clicked in Winnie's brain. "Hey, those same lights are depicted in the tribal tome, too!"

Again, Victor nodded, square-shaped glasses reflecting a little light, "Mm-hm. Exactly what these people were trying to fend off. Maybe seal away. But...they weren't successful, and Grandpa thought he was onto why." In the second book, the ginger flipped pages until he'd nearly hit the back of the book, the page displaying what looked to be a planet and a giant object flying toward it. "Many believed this was what It arrived on Earth as, originally. See what's in the center of this meteor?" The trio looked on, Winnie spouting her answer, "Are those supposed to be the lights?"

"Right. Three lights in its core. But something was overlooked. See here?" Victor pointed then to something separate from the meteor.

"It's...broken?" Winnie guessed, again.

"Not just the meteor. See, my grandpa believed there weren't just three lights. He was convinced there were originally four. But when It came to Earth, not only did a piece of the meteor break off, but supposedly--"

"It lost a piece of itself," Toby cut in, suddenly realizing. "And it's that meteorite that I think now Jay's great-grandpa may have found. I think...maybe that fourth Deadlight had been found, and I suspect it had been surviving in Jay's family tree," Victor added on. While the trio spoke, Jay--silent the whole while--stared down at the images, mind racing as she attempted to piece it all together. A previous family member had found a meteorite? How outlandish! Unheard of! Because if that much were true, wouldn't the Wolfe name be known? Wouldn't the family be famous? Great-Grandpa Alex could have easily scaled up to a mansion, if that had been the case! As she sorted her thoughts, Jay began to zone out, mind drifting. But to where? What time period? All she could see then was a brief flashback, an event in the past, of a young man wandering upon a crater in the ground. The object at its center pulsed with an orange light, drawing the man closer. Closer, still. The man neared, knelt, reached. The object before him shattered, whatever was contained shooting forward at him. She heard a pained cry, and--

An intense pain fired up in her chest, breaking her train of thought. Instantly, she clutched at it, crying out as her body backed away from the group and fell against several stacked boxes. A few fell, spilling their contents. "Jay?" Toby called, worried by her outburst. The brunette said nothing, panting as the pain died away. Gradually, she got back on her feet, Winnie at her side to help her stand. "Geez, are you okay?" prompted Victor, after picking up his fallen cap--a result from the small jumpscare. "Y-yeah," Jay eventually managed. "Just...I think...I had a vision."

"A vision?"

She nodded once. "A man...somebody had found the crater. The light inside latched onto him...consumed him...I think."

"It chose a host," Victor clarified. "Your great-grandpa, perhaps?"

It made the most sense. Maybe THAT was what had caused his mutation? But if that were true, would it do the same to HER, in time? After all, it did explain some of her known habits.

"...How did I get it?" Jay then asked, alert. "If we had to take a guess? The light may have moved on from family member to family member," Toby said. "Why?" was Jay's next question. The blond only shrugged. "That, we don't know. However, if it IS the light you're harboring, that would explain why the clown is targeting you. That's probably also why you aren't affected by his scare tactics," Victor stated. Jay thought back to that night in the corn maze, when Pennywise had tried to ensnare her in his lights. At least, that's what she assumed he'd tried to do. What ended up happening, rather, wasn't what he'd counted on. "...By chance, do you know what would happen if, say, a human were to see those lights?" she asked, attention back on Victor. He briefly bit his lip, taking a moment or two to flip through his grandpa's pages. "I can't say for certain, since I don't really know, myself. But my grandpa's notes here suggest that...uh...if a mortal were to lay eyes on those lights directly, the outcome could result anywhere from a comatose type of state to...straight-up death," he replied. "He'd even mentioned the survivors would sometimes develop some stage of mental insanity. Why do you ask?"

Jay swallowed dryly, "Because I saw those lights...and if I AM hostess to the Fourth Light, then...it protected me. It stopped Pennywise."

Toby could only agree, as he was the only other witness to this incident. He'd heard Jay scream, and when he'd found her, she was still standing, alive and in one piece.

"Then again," Victor continued, "it could have also been calling out to the other lights, telling them 'No, brothers. I'm in here'. The lights work together as one entity, so I doubt they'd go as far as to use its own powers against itself. That might be why the clown wants you. You have his missing piece."

Jay's hand subconsciously lifted to press itself to her chest, the silence broken by the flipping of pages as Winnie proceeded to read the words spread out in front of her. "He just wants his light back? Well, then why don't I just give it back? I mean, it was originally his, separated from him when he landed on Earth. If that's all he wants from me, why shouldn't I--"

"Because that Deadlight is a part of you," Winnie cut in, having landed on a page depicting a person giving up what appeared to be their soul, a menacing beast draining it from their body. "It's a part of your soul, what makes you who you are. To surrender your light would be to surrender your soul. Look here: this event HAD happened, before. Many, many years ago. Apparently, this entity had lost a piece of its own being during a previous arrival on another planet. Though, unlike this time, It was able to find and take back its missing piece."

Jay's brows furrowed as she stepped closer to scan the picture. "Wait, how would they know this happened, before? If it took place on another planet, how would we humans know what happened and what didn't?"

"Through visions," Winnie stated, pointing out some of the writing left behind by Victor's grandfather. "Some of the tribe could see into It's past, its experiences. Without all four of its lights, this creature could be potentially stopped, perhaps contained or killed. Seems to be the reasoning behind their rituals."

"So, this thing is in a weakened state? We COULD, in theory, kill it?" Toby pushed, hopeful. Winnie shook her head, but wasn't necessarily saying 'no', "We don't have any guarantees that these rituals work, since the clown's still here, and they've already performed these in the past. It just means we CAN fight it, maybe overpower it. But what we CAN'T do is let it take back its light. Which means, Jay, you cannot--under any circumstances--surrender your Deadlight. To give up your light is to give up your soul." She paused, gaze serious as she stared through her lenses at the brunette standing across from her. "If you give up your soul, you'll die."

Jay said nothing, fingers curled against her chest as she stared down at the open books. The imagery of the monster's soul-draining felt rather haunting, so suddenly. If she weren't careful, didn't keep a strong will, she would end up the person in that very depiction. "I can't be left alone," she finally admitted, aware that her normally being alone would likely spell a death sentence. "You sure can't," Toby reinforced, arms crossed. "That's why I'm gonna escort you to and from work, from now on. If one of us has to start spending the night, so be it. Now, for how long are we supposed to watch Jay's back?"

"Er, based on what I could read? This thing sleeps for 27 years or so, and then is actively hunting humans for a full year," Winnie filled in, finding nothing else useful on It.

"...Okay, so we have less than a year, now. Ten months, at least? We'll just have to keep her safe until we have an attack plan. Figure out where this thing resides when it's not out, hunting. Once we do and we have a strategy, we try to annihilate this thing," Toby decided, after a short pause in hesitance. Not exactly a steady next step, but it wasn't as though they had much to go off of. They were basically inching along a thick wooden post in pitch darkness. For now, at least, they had a little light to guide their steps. Not bright enough to see what awaited ahead or below, but enough to let them find their way.

While the others threw in their suggestions as far as their next act would be, Jay kept her eyes glued to the books. Deep inside, she felt a residual ache...and practically heard a beastly growl in the back of her head. She tensed. Something told her this light of hers wouldn't remained restrained, forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another narrow escape from the killer space clown. But don't worry; he's gonna catch his prey in the next chapter. >D (Spoilers!)
> 
> Finally getting to the good stuff. A fourth light, huh? Will it do to Jay what it did to her great-grandfather? Can't wait to see what happens~


	10. Awakening

The ringing at the store's main entrance momentarily filled Jay's ears, her eyes and hands too focused on bagging up a current customer's special order. The gift bag was propped open, stuffed with as many of the books at it could hold, and then was stocked with decorative paper before the brunette finally taped the thing closed. Another order wrapped up, several more to go. The front door again jingled as people came in and left, the cycle continuous for the time being. 'PageTurner's' was hitting a busy streak, which meant she'd been in just about every day. In fact, Jay was starting to wonder if she'd already hit over-time.

As she smiled at the next person in her line and began to prop open a larger gift bag, she let her thoughts travel back to recent events.

Since the impromptu meeting at Grandpa Franks's house, the group had remained diligent, committed even, to persistently watch Jay's back. As was promised, the brunette didn't go anywhere, alone. Other than the exception of the bathroom, that was. She didn't even sleep in her own condo at night, opting instead to crash at her friends' abodes. Always rotating between them, so as to not settle into a routine. Something the clown would realize and catch on to. During the day hours, Jay wouldn't even go to her own condo alone, always in the company of her pack--Toby, especially. Determined as he was, he wasn't satisfied with standing by and letting Jay go solo when the others weren't available to assist her. Watch her. Guard her. A wolf's strength lies with its pack, and he knew this, too well.

Last night, Jay had stayed over at Winnie's, and was picked up by the white-blond for work. A task he was more than willing to do, but a task that made him antsy, all the same. Something about their supernatural nemesis got under his skin, made him almost...paranoid. Almost as if he knew the clown's next move. Not that he'd discuss it, if asked. Yet, Jay couldn't help but feel as though she wasn't the only one of the Pack to have run-ins with Pennywise. Quite literally, in Victor's case. A car his parents had recently bought for him was shown off to the Pack, and the brunette calling herself their Alpha had questioned him about the odd dent near one of the headlights. The ginger had gone pale, refusing to respond.

The silence told her all she needed to know.

Thankfully, these tactics of theirs had proven fruitful, as Thanksgiving had come and gone without any further encounters. A few more presumed deaths, but no further threats aimed toward Jay or her pack. However, now that the Christmas season was in full swing, keeping to their promised arrangement was becoming difficult, to say the least. Winnie and Victor were finally being granted the proper work schedules they'd so-often asked for, which left them less free time to escort Jay wherever she needed to go. To the brunette's relief, Toby was always close by, eager to run to her side when she needed him. As he often reminded her, he was just a simple phone call away. Jay couldn't help but mentally sigh to herself as she filled another gift bag. How much longer would they need to pursue this escort thing? She wouldn't admit to it, but she WAS starting to miss her alone time.

Blue eyes rose behind her lenses to find the clock on the far wall. Twenty minutes remained of her shift. Soon, her replacement would be in, and Toby would turn up to escort her home. Wherever that was going to be, tonight...

"Thank you so much! Have a good day," beamed her current customer, taking up her purchases and excusing herself by the last of Jay's line. Only a few people remained in waiting. Plenty enough to eat up the last of her shift.

"Sorry, Jay?"

Or so she thought.

The woman turned at the calling of her name, finding her boss gesturing to her. "Mindy's just come in to take over for you, but before you head out, could you do me a small favor?" he called, waiting as she finished serving the next customer in line before said replacement came to fill her spot. "Would you mind too terribly if you escorted Mrs Simmons to her car?" he asked when she'd finally acted to join him. Without a word, Jay turned to lock gazes with an older woman, another brunette in a heavy fur coat. She smiled back warmly, setting a black-gloved hand on her purchase of multiple books. "I'm so sorry to pester you, dear. I just need help getting these heavy things to my car. Er, my husband can help me into the house, afterward," she explained, eyes seemingly taking pity on the younger female. "Oh, it's no trouble. I can get it," Jay insisted both to her boss and to Mrs Simmons, taking up what purchases were already bagged. Out from behind the counter, Jay stepped, meeting the older woman on her way out.

"I do so appreciate your help. I-I do know how heavy those things can get, and I normally wouldn't bother others for help. But what you used to do while young becomes harder to do when you're older, and these old arms don't hold weight like they once did," Mrs Simmons began, tone and voice reminding Jay of a pleasant grandmother figure. Jay shook her head, "Don't even worry about it. That's what we're here for." She readjusted her hold on one of the bags, wrists aching from the pull of the books. Already, and they hadn't made it halfway across the parking lot! Beside her, she heard Mrs Simmons sigh. "I'm also sorry for parking so far out. The doctor told me I have to put in more effort to be active, especially in my old age." She lightly laughed, "Not that I'm in any shape to scale Everest, mind you! Oh! Have you by chance taken a peek at some of those cook books? I had recently found a recipe for a cinnamon-caramel apple pie. Have you tried it?"

Jay only smiled and shook her head, attention diverted from the woman to their surroundings. Although in the company of another for the moment, she couldn't drop her guard. At any time could Pennywise show his painted face, and she wasn't going to chance being taken by surprise. Her elder prattled on, soon enough reaching into her purse. "Well, I know I put those silly things in here, somewhere. Oh, just a minute while I try to find my keys..." she spoke, fishing the bits of metal from within. "Ah! Right here in the back seat, if you will, please," she instructed, unlocking her car and easing a back door open. 'At last', Jay thought, looking forward to setting down the bags and making a dash back to safety. Toby hadn't yet arrived. Mrs Simmons watched with a pleasant smile, politely holding the door for Jay. Inside, said employee leaned, careful to set down the numerous bags of goodies. When that was done, she pulled back and reached to shut the door. "Alright, think that'll do it. I had to put a few on your floor, since it wouldn't all--" The car door slammed shut, but it wasn't the sound that interrupted her. Rather, it was what she saw reflected in the window.

Mrs Simmons was no longer there. Instead, a tall, silver-garbed figure stood at Jay's side. Red coated the skin around his already-reddened lips, a deep crimson spilling down his Victorian-style collar and halfway down his suit. "Sugar!" Jay gasped in shock, realizing what had really become of the car's driver. Both arms hanging, the clown hunched over, gold eyes meeting Jay's via their reflection. "It's time to float, Jay~" he taunted. Control suddenly flooded back into her body, and she instantly made to bolt around the back-end of the vehicle. "Oh no, it's not!" she shouted back, her only goal now to make for the safety of PageTurner's. Unfortunately, she didn't see the monster behind her drop to all fours in her rush to escape, and therefore wasn't expecting a hand to catch her ankle. Her breath was taken from her when she hit the ground, her chin and palms throbbing with minor injuries that she knew were there. She'd only the time to lift her head, gaze on PageTurner's door, when she felt hands tighten their hold on her ankles. A short cackle and the abrupt pop of something metallic were her only warnings before she was dragged backwards. A cry was torn from her body, she just barely registering in time her sudden drop to catch the circular rim of the manhole he'd then uncovered.

He was trying to drag her into the sewers!

Exposed teeth were clenched shut as Jay struggled to pull herself up, the grip on her legs now almost piercing. Had he claws, now? The clown below her only continued to laugh, practically mocking her attempts, her efforts, to break free. She was quickly losing the strength to fend him off, and they both knew this. Thankfully, she spotted her literal lifeline walking up on PageTurner's door. "TOBY!"

The blond jumped in his skin, not expecting to hear someone shout his name. ESPECIALLY not Jay. She NEVER called him by his first name. A short survey of the lot let him spot his friend struggling in an open manhole. "I COULD USE A LITTLE HELP!" she yelled, panic claiming her expression. She need say no more. Hands pulled from his pockets, Toby ran to her aid, able to catch her by her wrists just when she'd begun to lose grip. "Don't worry, I got you," he stated, trying his best to lift her out from the darkness, below. At the same time, Jay focused her efforts into kicking at the clown's hands, digging the soles and bottoms of her shoes into his digits. The struggle lasted seconds, but seemed to drag on, forever. Jay gasped again in finally realizing her captor had let go. "Pull me up!" she called, reaching up to cling to Toby's jacket. The young man readjusted his hold on her in his motion to do just that. But then...

"They all float, down here. And soon...you will, too~"

Neither Jay or Toby knew to whom the clown spoke, but either way, neither could do a thing as Jay suddenly felt strong arms clamp around her mid-section. The force behind them caused her to let go of her savior, and she cried out as she was dragged down into the abyss. Shocked, Toby barely had a second to respond, just able to pull his arms out before the manhole cover somehow flew back into place. "No! No, Jay!" he panicked, desperately trying to pry the cover back off. He succeeded only in bloodying his own fingers. Mind racing, he forced himself back onto his feet. Whom could he turn to, now? Jay's boss was the immediate first thought. He could probably contact the police! In his rush to the door, Toby withdrew his phone and began making calls. Winnie's went to voicemail. Victor picked up after two rings. "Hello?" He sounded tired, as if awoken from sleep.

"Victor, I need you to meet me, ASAP."

"Wh--"

"It's taken Jay."

The front door was shy of thrown open as Toby entered the book store.

*****************************************************************

Her body flinched as her consciousness rushed back to her. Unfocused eyes opened to take in the darkness around her. 'What happened...?' she wondered, wincing as she urged herself to sit up. Odd. When had she passed out? Where had she been left? One of her hands rose to rub the back of her head, brain throbbing. Her vision was fuzzy. "Can't see a freakin' thing..." Her other hand habitually proceeded to adjust her glasses--which she quickly discovered weren't on her face. Rather, when she dropped a hand, she felt it brush against the metal frames, folded neatly beside her. They were picked up, unfolded, and donned. Her surroundings snapped into focus, and she found herself on...

A stage?

Well, a traveling stage, to be precise. Cold, somewhat damp wooden boards extended along the floor below and the walls around her. It looked to have been sitting stationary for a really long time. Abandoned, perhaps? She couldn't tell its age, what with the few posters still somehow sticking to the walls unperceivable. Her brown hair shifted forward over her shoulders as she stood, hands occupied in brushing dirt off her dress shirt, both it and her slacks soiled with...who knew what. Where was she, even? More importantly, where was the beast that brought her here?

Stepping cautiously, Jay acted to see herself off the stage, wary of on what she descended upon. Piles of...well, what she considered junk were strewn about the place. Everywhere she looked, she could see only trashed clothes, old dolls, broken rocking chairs, torn kites, trinket boxes, the like. Objects that may have once belonged to children, mostly. Was she at the dump? Based on the sights and smells...that was likely. "I just need to get out of here," she mumbled, quickly growing annoyed with all the garbage she fought to tread over. Swift to lift her sliding feet, she eventually came to rest on a relatively-flat surface, the object unknown as she pulled herself onto it. Whatever it was, it at least gave her the elevation she needed to observe this place. No surprise that she found more and more piles of trash--just about as far as she could see. "Where the heck is this?" she wondered, narrowed eyes peering by the sea of garbage to note the expansive walls stretching all around. They were cave-like, and wet. Was she underground? Logical, since she did recall falling.

She then noticed the pale light barely filtering in from above, lifting her chin to get a view of the source. Her jaw nearly dropped open. Far above, moonlight poured in from a grate on the surface, effectively revealing the still forms of many, MANY young children. Many...floating...children. A cold chill clawed its way down her spine, her head shaking but for a second. "They all float, down here," is what she remembered the clown telling her. Until now, she hadn't known what he meant. Her jaws clenched shut. Now came the question: was she next? Her train of thought was derailed as the ground below her shook, ceasing after a short moment. Having fallen on her belly, Jay took a moment to catch her breath, proceeding to stand, once more. In doing so, however, she happened to note the familiar pattern of the object on which she stood. Dark and white, meeting in a jagged sequence. Blue eyes followed them down to what appeared to be rope intertwined with the object's material, leading into one large ball of...was that supposed to be a cotton ball? What was she looking at? Brows furrowed, she tilted her head to one side, as if trying to place where she had seen something like this. With how the rope was stretched and how the pattern bled into it, it kinda reminded her of--

A shoe.

Her hands clenched in fists at her sides, body frozen. It was then she realized, she wasn't on the ground, at all.

A shadow passing overhead made her jump. Slowly, ever so slowly, she convinced herself to turn around, now admittedly a little fearful of what she might find. A fist rose to her mouth, pressing against pursed lips, as she looked up at the swarm of floating kids. Her heart sunk. From the surrounding darkness, an enormous hand reached to break up the light from above, shifting from side to side as if picking and choosing among the lifeless bodies. One was soon plucked with gloved fingers, pulled from the light. And to Jay's faint horror, gold eyes pierced through the pitch-black, focused only on the child in hand. Bright light seeped forth as lips were parted, a mouth opening. In this light, the child appeared to return to life, her cries and screams instantly filling Jay's ears. In the moment it took Jay to understand that the clown had temporarily turned himself into a giant, she resisted emitting a sound as he then tilted back his head and tossed the child in his mouth like a kernel of popcorn. Both hands were slapped over her ears as she tried to block out the awful crunching sounds that followed. His swallow was loud, ending with a pleased rumble. Oh, how she hated that sound! She shivered, hands beginning to lower. She looked again, freezing all movements in finding the clown's stare now on HER.

Expression wouldn't show it, but there was no masking the hammering of her heart in its cage.

His upper body leaned forward, the moonlight illuminating his white and red face and sections of his ruffled collar. His closed lips were pulled in a knowing smile. Jay made no sound, didn't move beyond taking one step back in response to his drawing closer. She debated running for it. Most humans would, but she knew they never got far. She wouldn't, either. That didn't stop her from trying when Pennywise then reached for her with both hands. Turning on her heel, she sprinted off his boot, only able to land in the trash underfoot before his gloved hands closed around her like a curious child with a small critter. In the suffocating darkness, Jay quickly crawled along one hand, originally seeking the spaces between his fingers. However, light soon returned her vision, and she opted instead to clutch the fabric of his gloves in an iron grip, her body cradled in the curve of his digits. She was held a few feet short of eye-level, the enormous clown peering at her in the same manner she used to peer at captured frogs. Her breathing stayed calm--for the most part. Her arms shook, but her grip was unyielding. Just in case he decided to toss her down his gullet as he'd done the small girl, prior.

"So THERE'S your fear~" he spoke, clearly amused. He briefly drew in a breath, as if to take in the scent. Instinctively, Jay hunched her shoulders, scowling at herself in silent self-aimed disgust. So what if she was a LITTLE scared? Who wouldn't be in the hands of a giant man-eating clown? Uncomfortable silence filled the space between them, dragging out until Jay couldn't take it, anymore. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, daring to speak. At his false look of puzzlement, she continued, "What, not going to take a bite? Waiting for a formal invite? Okay, here!" She briefly ripped a hand free to sweep it toward him. "Woo! There you go," she finished, masking her fear with anger. Which only succeeded in getting the clown to chuckle behind closed lips. "Not so soon, little one. You have something that belongs to Pennywise. Won't you be so kind as to see it returned?" he responded, surprisingly careful not to crush his captured prey.

"If you mean the little firefly in my chest, that's going to be a fat NO," Jay shot back, fighting to steel her nerves. Immediately, Pennywise's calm demeanor shifted to something more threatening, sharpened teeth displayed behind parted lips. "W-we both know you can't kill and eat me so long as I have what you want. I have to be willing, don't I?" she challenged, ignoring the growl rattling in his chest. "You kill me, you're never getting your light back!" Her knuckles had gone white with how hard she gripped his glove, but it was an effort to both mask her fear and give her some form of lifeline if the clown decided to munch on her, as well. Pennywise didn't comment, slightly withdrawing back into the shadows. His still-glowing eyes flickered in the dark, seemingly thinking to himself. True, he couldn't get his light back if he just ate her. She had to be a willing participant for him to drain it from her soul. That could easily be remedied; maybe threaten that pathetic little "pack" of hers. Endanger their lives, put all of Derry at risk? Torment her night and day, prevent her from ever sleeping, again? Usual old tricks. Fun, back then. Could be fun, now.

His gaze returned to her, and again, she sunk in place.

Or...maybe...

His lips faintly twitched.

Since she DID have a Deadlight inside her...

He wickedly smiled. Pennywise had an idea~

"If you won't return what belongs to Ol' Pennywise..." he began, gentle in closing his hand around her. Of course, this did nothing to keep her from emitting a short cry, rib cage feeling tight as her body was pinned. Her breathing was restricted, yet she fought to keep in any noises of her discomfort. Rather, she kept an eye open to further watch him. She didn't like the grin he was sporting. "...Then you will join Pennywise~" He laughed in amusement at her perplexed stare. "Oh, such fun we will have, together!" He chuckled again, and Jay could feel his hand shift around her. His index finger moved to brace her head, his thumb rising to gently press on her bottom jaw. "Open wide~" She winced as her mouth was forcefully, painfully, pried open. For an instant, she was afraid he was aiming to break her jaw. Whether she was compliant or not, he didn't care. It didn't matter. Satisfied that she couldn't resist, the clown let his own jaws split open, soon enough exposing his own trio of lights. Unable to fight him off or even free herself, Jay could do no more than watch as the lights' glow grew brighter. A strange energy began to pulsate between the three of them. As if to respond to them, the Deadlight within Jay also began to glow--quite painfully. To this, the other three lights seemingly emitted a bizarre sound, akin to an audible signal. And suddenly, a bolt of light shot forth from the trio and down Jay's throat, colliding with the Deadlight she harbored.

All she felt was an intense heat and indescribable pain. She felt Pennywise's thumb release her jaw, her eyes shut tight to cope with this pain. Even with her eye lids closed, she could still see the bright light now burning inside her. The only sounds she heard were from her own screaming and the bombardment of screeches trapped in her head. Rapidly, the noises produced by her lungs and vocal cords were warped, assuming a sort of beastly tone. Fire crawled through every vein, claiming every limb and muscle. The cries in her head turned to roars and monstrous snarls, as if something deep within had just been awakened. From under her skin, her Deadlight glowed and pulsed, spreading its control over the body it was forced to inhabit. Her back soon hit something solid, and everything ceased. The pain was gone, the intense glow and heat fading. Jay's vision grew fuzzy as she regained it, her brain registering the fact the clown had dropped her. Tenderly, of course. Whatever he'd just done to her, he didn't want to see her battered and broken, now. Yet, her vision was short-lived, as her body began to gradually shut down.

The last she saw of the clown before losing consciousness was of him holding an index finger to his lips, golden eyes turning a light blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly couldn't wait to start this one! Finally getting to the fun stuff!
> 
> ...But I had to wait; we had company over for the last few days, and we held an early Christmas for them. It was fun and great to see everyone again, after so long. But it's also nice to get back to typing--and I know you guys don't want to wait, long. XD
> 
> This whole scene between Jay and Pennywise had been clawing at my brain for days, begging to be written. I'm satisfied with how it turned out, what with Penn apparently being able to change his size, as was shown in the second movie. Wonder what he did to Jay?


	11. Wolfe's First Kill

A numbing cold engulfed her body.

The only thing her brain could register as she somewhat drifted back from unconsciousness. Her eyes would not open; she'd not yet regained control of them. Her body wouldn't respond, either. She couldn't hear anything through one ear, the other caressed by a chilling breeze. Where was she? Had she been dropped in a pool in this early Winter weather?

There were voices among the darkness. Voices she couldn't make out.

They soon grew louder.

"Holy Mother--! Guys, there's someone down here!"

Another feminine voice. Frantic footsteps rapidly grew closer. "Hey, lady, can you hear me?"

She couldn't respond, her body still not relenting her control. There were a few other male voices, none of which she knew. "I don't know. I mean, I hope she's not dead." There was a gentle pressure on her throat. "Guys, I've got a pulse! She's still alive! Call 911!" Her head hung lifelessly as she then felt hands grab her by her underarms, her body dragged from the cold that surrounded her. "Hang in there! Help's on the way, just stay with us!" Heh. An order she might not be able to follow. In fact, she was already slipping, again. The last sound she heard was that of an emergency siren before she lost consciousness, again.

Her brain generated a dream, something to break up the darkness. There were no sounds, nothing emitted from the footsteps her dream-self took. She was walking along dirt, rock. Trees stood all around, a wilderness. She blinked, body halting just short of a drop-off to a crater. Below, she saw a man crouched, hands clasping at his chest. She called out to him, words and voice unheard by her own ears. There wasn't a response from the man. Beyond her control, her body hurried to descend the unstable crater walls, running over to crouch before him. She spoke a name, but didn't hear what she'd even said. Her voice then returned, but...

"Are you alright?"

...That wasn't her voice. Was she not viewing this whole sequence through her OWN eyes? Was she witnessing it all play out through someone else's? She lifted an arm, reaching for the pained man. He reacted the second her palm touched his shoulder, head shooting up to glare her down with a feral, almost beastly face. His nose, she recalled, was rather canine-like, lips dark and spread over fang-like teeth. His eyes had gone black, irises a bright orange. The sound he made...oh, what a horrible sound! It didn't sound like a noise a man could produce, no. It was far too monstrous, too animalistic. Too...LOUD.

The roar seemed to echo in her eardrums as she snapped awake, blinking away the fuzziness in her vision. Darkness was replaced by light, a well-lit room. Beeping clawed at her left ear. She turned her head to look. Oh...a heart monitor. She knew what that was. Her vision was still blurry, and she realized it was because she was not wearing her glasses. Again. Focusing eyes fell to her body. A white sheet cloaked it, her back meeting something soft. A bed. Rather, a hospital bed. How did she get here? WHY was she here?

"She's awake," a finally-familiar voice stated, tone relieved. Winnie? The brunette turned to her right, finding the faces of Toby, Winnie, and Victor at her side. "Dear lord, are you okay?" her Hispanic friend began, handing over the pair of glasses she'd been holding. Jay dryly muttered her thanks, donning her metal frames. "What the heck happened?" Victor then questioned, briefly leaning in as if to get a better look at their recently-recovered friend. "Happened...? I don't...what?" Jay struggled to put a sentence together. What HAD happened? "H-how did I get here?" she asked. All she got in return were their confused stares. "You were dragged down an open manhole, remember?" Toby spoke up, apparently the only person in the room whom knew all of recent events. Jay's short brows furrowed. "I was...? When?"

Toby hesitated, stunned. "A few hours ago. Do you not remember? Seriously?"

Her lips pursed.

"You called out to me, needing my help. I-I tried to pull you out of the manhole, but...I think...the clown took you."

Clown? Oh. He meant Pennywise. Wait--It was THERE?!

"...I remember escorting a lady out of the store, carrying her bags for her. Then..." Jay dug through her short-term memory, trying to piece it all back together. "...I yelled to you?"

Toby nodded.

Was that why her throat felt raw? No, that couldn't be the only culprit. There was a residual burn in her chest. Despite her best efforts, however, Jay was drawing a blank. She remembered leaning into the woman's car to put down her bags, and...then...nothing. "I'm sorry," she sighed, "I don't remember anything, after that."

Toby couldn't accept that, and he leaned forward to urge her again. "Did the clown get you, Jay?"

Silent expressions and bodily gestures were all he got back.

"Did he take you? What did he do to you?!"

Jay nearly growled, "I just said I don't know! I don't remember!"

"He didn't get your Light, did he?" Victor prompted, trying to break up the tension between the two. "Vic, if he had, she'd be dead, right now," Winnie told him, lightly smacking his arm. He fell back into silence, honestly feeling stupid for asking. "I don't know what he did, if anything. I don't even recall if he'd even taken me. Toby probably knows more than I do," Jay explained, collapsing back in her bed. The white-blond sighed through his nose, reminding himself to stay calm. There was no point in getting mad. If Jay couldn't remember the last few hours, it was possible this clown Pennywise had something to do with it. He hadn't killed her, so why had he snatched her from the parking lot? What had he done? "I was approaching the store's front door to pick you up from your shift, and I heard you shouting at me from the lot's open manhole. Either you had fallen, which is unlikely, or someone had tried to pull you down, below. I swear it's the latter, and I'm convinced it was Pennywise. I tried to pull you back out, but whatever had you was too strong. When I couldn't save you, I ran back into the store to alert your boss. He didn't believe me at first, but when you didn't come back in..." Toby informed, easing back in his chair.

"Toby called me, and then I turned around and called Winnie. When she and I got there, your boss had already contacted police. We searched everywhere for you. Your boss even closed the store, early," Victor said. "Did you guys find me?" Jay questioned them. Winnie shook her head, "Some teens were on their way out to do some fishing. They found you in a creek."

That explained the constant chill she'd felt.

"They then called police, and the police drove out to find you. Brought an ambulance with them. They said you were unresponsive, the whole time," Toby finished for her. Well, that explained how she got here. "Why was I in a creek? And why can't I remember how I got there?" the brunette wondered, a hand scratching at her head. "We were hoping you could answer those questions," Toby replied. He sighed in disappointment, "But it seems that you can't, so..." Jay peered between the trio of relieved but disheartened faces. She felt horrible, unable to fill her pack in on the details. "Your boss should be on his way over to see you. He was in a real panic when you didn't turn up," Victor finally mumbled. "What we're trying to get at is, we're just happy you're alive and well. You gave us quite a scare," Winnie clarified, patting Jay's hand. The brunette managed a smile. Before the group could press for more information, they were startled by a knock at the door. A nurse stood there, lightly smiling her understanding while at the same time pointing at her watch. "Our visitation's up," Victor stated, taking a glance at his own watch. "I'm sure her boss is gonna want to see her, as well," Winnie tacked on, standing. Turning to Jay, she said, "They said you'll be in for another 24 hours, just so they can monitor you. You should be out by morning. When you are, just give one of us a call. We'll pick you up." As Jay nodded, Winnie reached to tap Toby's shoulder, snapping him from thought. He appeared particularly...bothered. Something was under his skin.

Why did Jay get the sense it had something to do with a certain circus entity?

"We'll see you, tomorrow," Toby confirmed, the others giving their parting words as they left the room. Out of ear-shot, Victor turned to his remaining friends. "What's the plan, now?" They didn't have to question what he meant. Their recent plan to stay together had proven a failure. Regardless of whom stood at Jay's side, Pennywise had shown them how pointless the whole 'safety in numbers' concept truly was. Jay hadn't been left alone, and yet he'd still managed to slip by under their noses. He still got to Jay--whatever he'd done to her. Thank Heavens he hadn't left her in the same state as Nathan! "We come back in the morning to pick her up, then regroup. We'll have to switch up our tactics," Toby sighed, for the moment unsure of the next step. He was last to follow them down the hall, unable to keep from voicing his fears.

"I just hope he hasn't made a monster out of her..."

*****************************************************

"Are you sure you don't need me in, today? I feel well enough to work," Jay insisted, having turned back around for the second time, that visit. She couldn't just walk out of PageTurner's, today. She was originally meant to work, that afternoon.

Her boss, however, shook his head. "No, no. I feel terrible after what happened, a few days ago. I'm glad you're okay, Jay, but I must insist you go and get some rest. I've got more than enough help to cover the rest of the day." He could only chuckle at his employee's persistence, withdrawing only somewhat as she set both hands on the counter. "Jay, honestly. Look, you're an excellent employee. Never had a problem with ya." He let out a short huff. "But it was because of my actions that ultimately put your life in danger, and I'd like to grant you some time to recover to make up for it. The weekend's all covered; you don't have reason to worry. Besides, you were only just released from the hospital, yesterday. Go on, go home. Rest up. Enjoy your weekend, and we'll see you back in on Monday."

The brunette lightly, playfully, pouted at his insistence to let her enjoy a weekend off, but gave in with a pat of his hand on her shoulder. "Alright, but you're letting me wipe down the doors when I get back," she caved. "Haha! A fair deal," her boss gently laughed, stepping away to hint at letting her leave. However, he halted, as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh! Right! Before you go, uh..." Jay turned again to find him lean down behind the counter. "Your order came in," he announced, handing over her parcel. Light returned to her eyes, and she stepped up to the counter again to accept the package. "Gosh, I've been dying to read this. Best friends turned into vampires and werewolves respectively, in a world where the two races are squaring off in a war. Wonder if they'll all stay friends...or become the enemy?" she spoke, tearing open the box to give the cover a thorough read. "I take it monster books are your favorite?" her boss chuckled, waving her off. "Have a good weekend, Jay."

"Thank you," she replied, tucking her book under her arm and making way for her condo to change out of uniform. If she was going to enjoy her weekend, she wasn't going to wear 'PageTurner' attire if she didn't have to.

A quick change into casual clothes and a short walk later, Jay found herself at the local park. Still haunting, since this was where they'd last seen Nathan alive. It was lively, busier than Jay had seen it in weeks. Perhaps growing hyped with the Christmas parade said to be planned, later on? She resisted a smirk. People in Derry were easily entertained, were they not? But it wasn't the crowds Jay wanted to mingle with. No, not this time. She craved her alone time, which was why she hadn't bothered to call any of her pack mates. She just wanted some time alone, to sit and read. Enjoy a little of the warmer weather before the snow came to claim it all. Right by people on picnic blankets, Jay strode, searching the landscape for an empty table. She eventually found one, secluded from the rest of the park by trees. Ah, some privacy? Good. Jay felt as though she needed it.

She sat on the bench seat with her back to the table, leaning against it as she cracked open her book's cover. 'Why read a potentially good book indoors during such pleasant weather?' she'd earlier pondered. So, she'd brought it with her. Ironic enough that she'd forgotten to grab her snacks off the counter in her departure. Oh, well. When she'd done enough reading, she could easily go grab a burger or something. For now, her stomach was behaving itself. For now, it was her mind crying out to be filled with a good story. During the first seven pages, Jay was feeling comfortable, nerves at ease. Warm sun at her back, the laughter of children breaking up the silent wind. Everything was pleasant. Yet, by the end of Chapter 2, she began to feel...antsy. As if there were eyes on her. Fingers soon flipped to Chapter 3, the brunette trying her hardest to ignore the sensation. Mid-way through the chapter, though, she had to peer up, glance around. There was no one else at her table, nobody standing at the border to the surrounding forest. She was alone. "Get a grip, Jay," she mumbled, lensed eyes dropping back on her current page.

Chapter 4...and an icy sensation spread up her neck and down her back, despite the warmth of the sun seeping through her clothing. Again, she dared to look. Yet again, there wasn't another soul to be seen. She swallowed dryly, forcing herself to ignore it. Two pages into Chapter 4, and her heart began to pound. Strange...

Was someone watching her?

She flinched as something flew down before her, interrupting her thoughts and stopping the strange feeling she was experiencing. She leaned around her book's binding, only to find a simple model airplane having fallen just short of her feet. With a low hum, Jay dog-eared her current page and closed her book, setting it on the seat beside her. Remained seated, she reached to pick up the plane, adjusting her glasses as she gave it a good look. A light-weight material, purposed so that it could fly in a good breeze. But...where had it come from? Her focus shifted when she heard panting, small footsteps rapidly approaching. A young boy turned up, hair a cross between blond and brown. Golden-brown, she had to guess? He was wearing a gray jacket, even with the weather as nice as it was, for now. "Aw, where did it--" he began to whine, spotting Jay with it in hand. "Oh, um, that's mine. Sorry. I hope it didn't hit you," he said as he ran up to her.

She expelled a breath through a smile. "Nah, it's all good. Spooked me a little, that's all," she explained.

"What are you doing over here, all alone?" the boy wondered, finding it strange that there were no other adults in this section of the park.

Jay shrugged, "I just wanted to enjoy a little 'Me Time', is all. Easier to read in the quiet than the chaos." She jabbed a thumb toward the other section of the park, face pulled in an expression that made the boy laugh. "This your plane?" she then asked, momentarily holding it up. He nodded, "Yup. My dad and I made it. Before he, um...left." He didn't sound happy with those last words. "Left? Where did he go?" Jay wondered. The boy sighed softly, then pointed up at the sky. It didn't take long for Jay to figure it out. "Aw...I'm sorry," she frowned. He shrugged, gaze downward, "My mom says I'll get used to it. But I always ask Grammy and Grampy if they can bring me out here on nice days, so I can fly Dad's plane. I like to pretend he's here with me while I play."

That was heartbreaking to hear. Still, Jay managed to smile at him. "Well, you guys did an amazing job with this plane. It looks great!"

The boy also smiled back, "Thank you. Dad would have liked to hear that."

"What's your name?" Jay nodded to him.

"Johnny."

"Johnny? Cool name. I'm Jay," she greeted, extending a hand to shake. He returned the gesture, albeit without a word. "Sorry to hear about your dad. Glad to know you're still carrying his memory." She lightly rocked the plane in her hand. "I guess so. You, um, wanna play with me?" he offered, peering around them. "There's nobody else here, so we won't hit anyone." The woman grinned, but politely had to refuse. "I might get in trouble if I'm caught playing with other people's kids without permission. But I do appreciate the offer."

"Oh. Okay. Maybe, um, I could go ask Grammy if that's okay?"

"Nah, you don't have to. I've still got a book to read, anyway."

"Okay. I better get back to Grammy and Grampy, then. They'll worry." He glanced to his plane.

Oh, right.

"Well, then I guess you better not leave this behind, huh?" she smirked, offering it back to him. Johnny nodded and proceeded to wander closer, hand up to take his plane. As soon as he was within range, Jay picked up on an unusual scent. A puzzling scent. An...enticing...scent. Like freshly-cooked bacon or a honeyed ham. A scent that instantly made her stomach feel empty. Her jaws clenched, mouth watering. Gracious--what was happening?! She faintly hung her head, resisting when Johnny went to take his plane from her. He'd backed up, uncertain if she was playing with him or not. Although calm on the surface, Jay could feel something was wrong. The hunger inside grew amazingly powerful, saliva threatening to seep from her lips. In her chest, she could feel that residual burn, her heart throbbing. She swallowed again to clear her mouth of spit, lifting her head to force a light smile Johnny's way. She prayed he'd hurry up and take his plane back, whatever was wrong with her. He stepped close again, and once more, she picked up that scent.

'Oh, no' was her only thought. The scent was coming from HIM.

Her teeth began to ache, and she tasted blood on her tongue. Her lips pursed, as she tried to fight for control over herself. That strength was fading--FAST. The moment the boy's fingers closed around the plane, she heard it. Laughter. Distinctive. And it was in her HEAD. She recognized the laughter to be the clown's, instantly aware as to whom was behind the sensation of her being watched. Her body shook, as if acting beyond her control, and she suddenly lunged forward, an arm rising to grab the boy. Her hand caught his wrist. Yet, when she looked at it, it wasn't...entirely her arm. Her skin had gone chalk-white, the back of her hand and the exposed flesh of her arm covered with pitch-black hair. Fur? Her fingers had elongated, thickened, nails grown out into long and sharp black claws. The formation of her beastly limb frightened the boy, and for a moment, he struggled to break free of her grip. He failed. Shaking, he stared back at her, fear etched on his face.

In her head, Jay heard the laughter grow louder. She was losing this mental battle. Her teeth had grown sharp behind her lips, and she felt a weird itch in both ears. Quivering jaws parted in her last chance to speak before she'd lost control, completely.

"I-I'm...s-so..." Her voice quickly deepened, laced with a beastly snarl. "...Sss-sorrrryyyy--ARGH!" Words were warped into a roar, the brunette barely transforming into something monstrous as she uncontrollably launched herself toward Johnny. The boy screamed and cried as he was pinned to the ground, his sounds silenced as claws tore into him.

The plane had fallen to the grass, forgotten, the ripping of fabric and flesh replacing Johnny's screams as blood spattered the toy's surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some extra time to type another chapter, so I figured I'd go ahead and post it. Granted, this might be the last update until after Christmas, what with work picking up this week, and family coming in to visit. IF I find some time to sit and type, I will. Otherwise, you guys can chill and go enjoy the Christmas season without worrying about missing another update. At most, there MIGHT be another update around the 26th, but don't go holding your breath. XD
> 
> I'll type when I have a moment, as usual. Otherwise, have a Merry Christmas, everyone!
> 
> (Johnny's sure not going to!)


	12. Consolation

The TV mumbled in the far corner of the diner, the volume turned down so low, one could barely hear it from the bar. Yet, SHE could hear it, crystal clear. And she didn't like what she was hearing. She sat, slumped over her book, focusing on the text printed before her. The event--accident, rather--from a mere few hours ago still replayed and replayed in her memory. Over and over again.

The scent had triggered it.

She'd attempted to fight it.

It only reinforced it.

Like a switch on a battery-operated toy, her mind had shut off, control over her body surrendered. She remembered bits and pieces, the boy's terrible screams ringing in her ears. She remembered that much...the tearing of fabric, the shredding of warm flesh, the heat of fresh blood as it spilled. Memory failed her, after that. No matter how much she had wanted to stop herself, she just...couldn't. She remembered the laughter she'd heard, a vile cackling of both mockery and a twisted sense of pleasure. As if its master knew what it was she was about to do. As if its master had WANTED her to do what she'd done. Like a bloody puppet on thick strings.

Blue eyes were ripped from the page and settled once more on the distant screen. A man in a suit now spoke, commenting as images of the recent "animal attack" were flashed for all to see. Anything graphic was blurred, of course, and the "animal" responsible hadn't been identified. "A bear," some had claimed. Heh--sure. A bear. A tingling crawled behind her nose and tears stung her eyes. She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She remembered all that had followed the attack: snapping to and finding her hands normal, but bloody. The fresh corpse gutted and strewn out in front of her, as if put on display. The panic that struck her, caused her to grab her belongings and run for it. She hadn't stuck around to hear the boy's grandparents call for him, scream and yell their despair when they found him. What was left of him. Exhaustion took a back seat as she'd fled through back alleyways and down barren trails to reach her condo. Shaking hands unlocked her door, which was slammed shut behind her entry. Clothes were stripped, tossed in the wash, and she herself bathed under a nearly-boiling shower. Shock and horror robbed her of thought.

What happened?

She thought back to it now, another public announcement made to again search for this "mystery beast". She almost wanted to laugh. Said beast wouldn't be found in the park, no. SHE was sitting at the bar of a small diner, trying to push her recent sin from her mind via a good book splayed out under her nose.

Rapid blinks only briefly cleared away the tears wanting to fall. They made reading the fine print impossible--no matter how many times she rubbed them away. With another sigh, she gave up, closing her book with a soft snap. Was all of this just payback for not giving the clown what he wanted?

"Care for another cup?"

Jay let her head rise, finding the bartender awaiting her response. Oh. Right. Her mug was empty. "Y-yes, please," the brunette agreed, drawing forth another dollar and handing it over. The man accepted with a nod, "Hot chocolate's going to take but a few minutes." Her word of thanks was soft, but luckily heard. This was going to make her, what, third or fourth refill? Perfect, for two reasons: a hot drink would force her to sip slowly, giving her time to think, and its chocolate flavor would help wash away the metallic taste of blood. Recalling what she did only made her want to hurl up this morning's breakfast.

The glass door behind her squeaked open.

"Hey, Jay."

She straightened up, slapping on a smirk to hide her self-aimed disappointment and disgust. "Hey, Lawrence."

The young man took up a seat beside her, briefly greeting the bartender and ordering a coffee for himself. "Got your text. Everything alright?" he then spoke to Jay.

"If, by alright, you mean content to deal with a cannibalistic clown," the brunette mumbled back, chin at rest in her palm as she stared at the TV. The screen showed a portrait of the now deceased Johnny. "Shame. He's claimed another victim," Toby stated with a sigh. His comment only made the young woman at his side tense. Quick to point fingers, wasn't he? Well, technically yes, but it wasn't directly Pennywise's fault. He'd only pulled her strings. It was Jay whom dealt the boy the killing blow. "I swear he's taunting us," Toby commented, eyes fixated on the distant screen. "Or probably just filling his stomach," Jay replied, fingers clawing at the cover of her book. "If he really is active for a short time span after 27 years of slumber, I could bet he's more interested in satisfying his hunger than in prodding at the likes of us."

The young man at her side smiled, bitterly. "There's more to it than that..."

Jay waited patiently for Toby to clarify his statement. When he didn't, she gave him a verbal poke, "Care to elaborate?" It was his turn to tense up, jaws clenched as he hesitated. The bartender only granted him spare time as their orders were brought to them. They sipped their drinks in silence. At least, until Jay decided to jab at the embers of this dying conversation. "You seriously think he's doing this in response to my not giving back his Light?" she wondered, the steam somewhat fogging up her glasses. "Without a doubt," was Toby's reply. Neither met one another's gaze, the subject of which they spoke weighing heavily over their heads.

"I'm not going to, you know. Give him back his Light," Jay settled.

The white-blond nodded, "I'd prefer you didn't."

Silence. The occasional sip. The TV now played several ads for new cars and another restaurant opening, downtown.

"...Lawrence?"

"Yeah?"

"...I've got a rather...uh, dumb question to ask."

"Then I might have a rather dumb answer to give you."

A couple smiles. Brief, but desperately needed.

"Does he haunt you, too?"

"Who? Oh, the clown?"

She nodded.

"What do you mean by 'haunt'? He follow you or something?" Toby asked.

"Not where I can see him, exactly. But I'm constantly feeling eyes on me--and they're not from Ray."

"Hm...is that what you're feeling, now?"

She paused, eyes flickering. "No."

"He must be leaving you be, for the moment. Probably luring some other kid to an early grave."

"...So, does he?"

He wouldn't meet her gaze, apparently finding his mug of coffee too intriguing. "He does. But..." He shifted in his seat. "You'll laugh."

"Will not."

"Jay--"

"I just said I won't. He's practically stalking me."

Toby sighed, sensing her eyes on him as he struggled to put the words in order. "I don't see him in reality, per say, but...I see him a lot...in dreams." He didn't look, but he could sense that faint hint of a smile.

"You dream about him?"

"Heh, not in the way I would like. They're like...confrontations, I guess. We speak, he and I." He lifted his mug to his lips. "I don't particularly like what he tells me."

"What does he say?"

"...Before, he was simply taunting me. Teasing, mocking. Lately? Well...he's been threatening you."

"Threatening ME? Why? Because I didn't give back my Light?"

Toby refused to answer.

"...What's he been saying about me?" Jay narrowed her eyes, just in the slightest.

"...In a nutshell? For us to watch our backs. If we don't, you might be hunting alongside him."

Her blood ran cold. "Hunting...? Dare I ask what?"

"As he put it...us. Me, Victor, Winnie..."

"Lawrence, I wouldn't even think of it. I'm no monster, not like him."

"No, but I fear he'll turn you into one." He pointed toward her chest. "You've got one of those things inside you. He might use that against us, pit you up against the three of us. Should that happen, I don't think any of us will be willing to fight back, hurt you."

"You don't have to fret over that, 'cause it's not going to happen," Jay reassured, although unable to keep a thought from passing through her mind.

'Not if I can help it.'

"You sound hopeful. I pray you're right."

Neither of the pair muttered another word until their beverages were gone. "Have you remembered anything about the last encounter?" Toby again tried. He expected her to jump to the defensive; tell him off. She didn't. "I don't know where I was, other than underground. I think...I was captured. I couldn't move, couldn't get free. And...all I remember from there is...a burning pain, inside. I lost consciousness, and...woke up in the hospital," she explained. "You think he was trying to rip his Light from you?" Toby finally turned to set Jay in his sights. She only shrugged. Rip it from her? Ha! If only. It was something worse, she knew. If the incident with Johnny was anything to go by...

"Well, I'm thankful he didn't succeed. We still don't even know what this thing is, how to combat it. And right now, we need all the help we can get." With that, Toby finished off the remnants of his coffee. "What's the plan?" Jay prompted. "Well, my break's over in a few minutes. But after work, I'm heading back to the library, see what I can dig up on that clown," her friend stated.

"Alone?"

"Alone. Probably better, that way. Harder to strike at all of us if we aren't huddled together like bowling pins."

"...What am I to do, then?"

"For now?" He frowned, brows furrowed. "I hate to say this, Jay, but...you go home. Wait there until one of us can call you, and pray you aren't found by that circus freak."

"If I am...?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he stood, setting his payment down for his order. "I'll text the others, see who can come for you. Just go straight home--run, if you must. Y'know, as you always put it--"

"Run on your own," Jay finished for him. The phrase left a bitter flavor in her mouth. 'Running on your own' was a cowardly thing to do. It meant to save one's own skin, among the Pack. If any of the Betas said it, those being Toby, Victor, and Winnie, it meant they were ditching the Pack--if only temporarily. It was often spoken in a joking tone, used to explain a short disappearance. A family vacation or a sick day, for instance. If the Alpha said it, that being Jay, it could mean one of two things: either she was leaving her Pack to fend for themselves--as was the case with certain family problems or situations beyond Jay's control. Or...if she were serious, it would mean she was actually ABANDONING them, turning her back on them to side with another.

Thank Heavens the latter had never happened.

Still, even mentioning "Run on your own" made Jay reach for the werewolf charm hanging from her necklace. Not often did she get to wear it, thanks to work regulations. But on the off days that she did, she had the habit of gripping at it while tensed. Her constant reminder that she still had her Pack's support. That they hadn't abandoned her. That she hadn't abandoned them. "I better get going if I'm gonna make it back to work in time. Go straight home, Jay. Wait for one of us to text you," Toby instructed, patting her shoulder as he departed. Go straight home...alone? Was that a good idea, considering their last move was to stick together? After all, look at what "sticking together" got them.

Not that she'd a choice, now. Toby had gone; she was alone. She could stay in the diner, buy drinks around the clock while reading her book down to its final pages. There was a sense of safety in doing just so. Yet...there was also the fact that the clown could assume the likeness of literally ANYONE in Derry, friend or foe. Any of the other patrons could be Pennywise in disguise. Waiting on the sidelines for the tables to clear, leaving her alone with him. No. It was probably best just to get out, run home. Pray she wouldn't run across him between here and there. Her legs moved her faster than her mind could keep up, her book tucked under an arm. The door swung open, the brunette stepping out onto the sidewalks stretching along many of Derry's streets. Not one suspicious glance was spared, as any one of these people could be the circus jester in disguise. Not a one made eye contact with her, though, so she counted it as a blessing.

Only a couple roads separated her from the shelter of her condo, and nobody seemed to pay her any mind. Two blessings. Which...accounted for nothing when she rounded a corner and halted at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. A bus pulled through the intersection, and a bobbing red balloon was the first thing to catch her eye. Jaws clenched, Jay let her eyes trail down along its string to find the ginger-haired figure in a silver suit holding it hostage, standing on the other side of the street. Waiting for her, it appeared.

She found his wolfish grin unsettling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost time to ring in the new year--but not before I got to upload another chapter. XD
> 
> This took me a little while, but I'd worked on it a little at a time after work, over these last few days. I've another day off coming up soon, and plan to work on the next chapter during that time. I'm thinking the next one's going to pit conflict between Clown and Wolfe...


	13. Ultimatum

She should have followed her own advice.

She shouldn't have stayed, engaged him.

By now, she should have turned tail, made a run for it. That's what he wanted though, wasn't it? For her to run away. She refused to give him that pleasure--especially not after what he'd made her do. Rather, the sight of him across the street only made her blood boil beneath her skin. She was angry. Far more than that, actually. Furious, flat-out ENRAGED. And she wanted answers. Hand tight around the binding of her book, Jay lowered her head, blue eyes glaring over the rim of her glasses.

"What did you do?" Her voice came out soft, quiet. It almost startled her how calm and collected her own voice sounded in that moment. Yet, a lack of an answer only succeeded in spiking her rage. What was worse, Pennywise seemed to enjoy seeing her so infuriated, his smirk never leaving his face. His unoccupied hand rose, overturned to gesture her closer.

Which caused her heart rate to increase, but not with fear.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" she shouted, her anger spewing over. He laughed. He just...bloody...LAUGHED. And seconds before she could find herself bolting down the crosswalk, a few more vehicles sped through the intersection, momentarily breaking her concentration, her focus. When the street had cleared, the clown had vanished. The brunette peered around, expecting to find him someplace closer. He wasn't, and that only made her sudden anger take a back seat. Ice made its home in her chest. She needed to run.

Forgetting all about the crosswalk, Jay turned on the balls of her feet and sprinted back the way she'd come, her Plan B now to try and lose him in Derry's crowd. A challenge, but one she was willing to accept. The icy chill ghosting over her skin was apparently her only signal that he was watching her from somewhere. All she had to do was run for it until that sensation had passed. At least, she hoped this was so. Taking the long way home was her option, now. Down alleys and park trails less traveled, she fled, ducking behind buildings whenever she could. Every step brought her closer to home, to safety. Simply being aware of that helped her ignore the eventual protesting of her muscles. The closer she got to her destination, the less of a chill she felt. A good sign.

Aching legs carried her across a short clearing to the sheltered steps of the stairway to the second floor. Mid-way up, she hunted for her keys, stopping only when her door was shut at her back. The chill was gone. Her panting form slid down against the door until she came to rest on her wooden floor. He hadn't followed her. She was safe. Her pounding heart soon calmed, leg muscles laxing after their so-recent over-use. When she felt she could stand, Jay did so, a hand on the front door to stabilize herself. Her body at ease, she reached for the cellphone in her back pocket. No new messages, no calls. She sighed, her empty hand rising to push up on her glasses and rub at her face. Her phone and book--the latter dropped at the door--were set on the small dining table as she passed by. Wait for someone to contact her, right? Okay.

Blurry eyes were blinked into focus, catching sight of the howling wolf statue on the kitchen counter, the nostalgic full moon poster advertising 'The Wolf Man' framed and hanging on the dining area wall. On her left, her single couch was mostly covered by a fleece blanket littered with crescent moons. It faced her small flat-screen, which was perched on a small glass stand. Slightly dusty, scarcely used, thanks to the large case of books sat up against the wall. Another case THAT full, and Jay would have a small library in her own home! The book she'd just dropped technically should be put away with its siblings, but...she didn't care to, at that moment. Instead, she walked the short hall to her room, marked with a 'Beware of Lycanthrope' sign. A grin and giggle, at one time. Now? Something about those words made her shiver. She brushed it off and opened the door.

A relatively-normal bedroom was revealed, containing a Twin-sized bed with dark-red covers, a dark-wood dresser, a closet, and shelves along the walls. The only oddity about this room was...the small number of full-bodied werewolf props she kept in here. Her "original pack", before her current one had been established. Friends were hard to make when everyone thought you crazy for considering yourself some lunar beast. At one time, these mere Halloween props had felt like her only real company in Derry. Now? It seemed like those frenzied glass eyes were all staring at her. Judging her. It sent a crawl up her spine. Feeling disappointed in herself, she shut her door, only wanting to fall onto her bed and sleep. But first, she had to pass by her full-body mirror, standing right beside her dresser.

On any other day, she would look at her reflection and see a confident young woman. A budding Alpha, in her own eyes. Someone ready to take on the day's worst and the worst of her pack. That's not whom she saw in the mirror. Instead, a shaken wolf in human flesh stared back at her through clear lenses, separated from its pack. Something anxious, yet unwilling to turn tail and run. Running was cowardly, unless you were the one doing the chasing. Chasing threats from her pack made her feel as though she were the one in control, a feeling she loved and would never--in her right mind--surrender to another at the sight of bared fangs. Alphas didn't do that. But...what threatened her pack NOW, even she couldn't fight off. Most of the time, she couldn't even see it. Heck, it was even going as far as to haunt her pack mates in their sleep! To this day, she was still convinced it had been responsible for the damages to Victor's car, as it was already guilty for stealing away Winnie's brother and rattling Toby's steeled nerves.

She should be out there with them, guarding their backs as they did, hers. Instead, she was here, hiding like potential prey, refusing to tuck her tail between her legs. Alphas don't submit. Unless...it was to another Alpha. There WASN'T another, not unless she decided to take one. Jay drew in a breath, slow to let it out. Her reflection only showed her an Alpha wolf on unsteady grounds, second-guessing her next move. Could it be that her strengths all this time had been BECAUSE of this Light she harbored? The intimidation factor that scared off the school bullies, the guidance and guardian aspects she offered to her close friends, the proverbial baring of her fangs at those who dared to question her status as Alpha...had it all been HER? Truly? A hand pressed itself to her chest. Or had it all been thanks to this "firefly"? After all, none of her pack mates had this Light, and therefore lacked the characteristics she possessed. That would explain why most decided against challenging her when they'd tried to get at her friends.

Her forehead gently met the mirror's surface. Why was this happening to her?

"Hello, Jay~"

Blue eyes, previously shut, shot open, those of her reflection now wide. Her back instantly met the glass, an alert gaze searching her room. No, no--that was HIS voice. He was here. Even if she didn't see him, right away. To her left? Nope. To her right? Nope. The door was even still closed. Her back left the mirror, cautious steps pulling her further into the room. Nothing from the far closet, either. Her lungs felt constricted. She looked up...and her hands went cold. He was clinging to the ceiling just above her bed, planted on all fours like a spider. His expression, for now, was an innocent one. Almost friendly, even. Moments after making eye-contact, he let himself fall to land on her bed, up-right and casually seated. "Enjoying your weekend? I know I am~" Pennywise spoke, for now sounding pleasant. The human standing across from him resisted the urge to snarl. Of COURSE he was; he'd made her murder a child! Her body instinctively took a step back. "Stay away from me," she ordered, voice low.

One would think a switch was flipped, as her words almost seemed to hurt the clown. Instantaneously, his smile turned into a frown, making himself appear saddened. "Aw...don't wanna play with the clown, anymore?" he 'pouted'. "Anymore? Tsk--I've NEVER wanted to play with you," she returned, arms crossing over her chest. His saddened look blanked. "Well, of course not. Games don't interest you, do they?" he replied. She chose not to answer him. She didn't even humor him. "I know why you're here. I'm not giving it back, though. Hear me? I'm NEVER giving it back," she said, deciding to cut this petty act he was putting on. Another switch-flip. Now he was starting to look intimidating. "Y-you think you can just pop in and drop out as you please like some online video game? We both know you don't scare me; you CAN'T scare me. And honestly, your recent actions toward my pack have REALLY started to tick me off," she continued.

"Your...pack?" Pennywise chuckled. "Do you truly believe yourself to be some feral beast? Hm?"

She didn't answer that, either.

"Because all I see is a lowly human," he growled, some unseen force lifting him from her bed and onto his feet. Golden eyes were locked on her. It didn't matter that he stood taller than her. It didn't matter how much he tried to intimidate her, belittle her. Among her pack or not, she was going to stand her ground. "Depends," she finally began. "Do you believe yourself to be a scary clown?" She drew in a quiet breath. "'Cause all I see is a court jester." There were the jagged teeth, the angered snarls that backed her up into her dresser. She was smiling, however. "What, you can dish it, but you can't take it? Maybe you shouldn't pelt rocks at a rubber wall." He took a step closer. In reaction, her right arm rose, defensively. A meager act to shelter herself from his advance, what with her weaponless, and all. "And perhaps, YOU shouldn't consider yourself something you're not," he stated, stepping ever closer. Her arm remained held up at chest-level, in case she'd need to shove him backwards. "Otherwise..." One of his own hands shot up to grab her wrist, and in that instant, she choked, feeling the strength leave her body. She was quickly finding herself unable to stand, lowering herself to her knees. His hold on her never lessened. "...You just might turn into it~" he grinned.

Jay couldn't summon the strength to yank her arm free. It was as if he'd drained it all from her body. It had to be because he still had control over the Light inside her. She couldn't resist, and he knew it. That was why he was so casual in crouching down before her, his hand never releasing hers. "You desire to keep it, do you? Well, you can, if you so wish. It would make this Waking cycle far more interesting. Or, you could give it back, spare your friends the mental struggles. They would simply have to learn to live on without you," he said, eyes once again a calm blue. Whatever grip he had on her, it wouldn't let her speak. Instead, she relied on her glare to speak for her. Clenched jaws emitted a pained hiss, though, as he roughly pulled her closer. "I do so hope you choose to keep it." She heard fabric tear, and looked to find the glove covering the hand holding her ripping open. Monstrous claws revealed themselves to her. "Our 'playtime's' not over, yet~"

Those claws were plunged into her flesh, pain shooting up the entirety of her arm. Her mouth finally opened, the cry she emitted instantly turned into a beastly roar. A sound she didn't count on making. That wasn't all to shock her. At the same time this pain claimed her, she forced herself to watch as her hand was transformed, doubling in size, fingers elongating and thickening. The skin had turned chalk-white, black fur and black claws sprouting. Exactly what she saw when she killed Johnny. No--when she was FORCED to kill Johnny. Jay couldn't protest--and didn't--when the clown neared her fresh wounds, quietly drawing in the scent of her spilling blood. She cringed, catching sight of his tongue parting his red lips to lap at her crimson substance. How disgusting it was to watch! Especially when he seemed so pleased with the stolen offering. Gold eyes focused back on her, and she hated the feeling they instilled in her gut. "Make your choice, and don't make me wait~"

Suddenly, he let go of her wrist, causing her to fall back against her dresser. Pain bit at the back of her head, she ignoring it as she sat up. Pennywise had gone, already vanished from her room. When she couldn't find him, she looked then to her affected limb. It had returned to normal, but still sported the wounds his claws had left behind. As she silently watched her blood seep through, she found her thoughts swirling in her mind. Wonderful--now she had a choice to make. Spare her friends the clown's torment by sacrificing herself, or persist in keeping his Light, and risk enduring whatever little "games" he still had stashed up his sleeves. The brunette shivered, hands soon digging their fingers in her hair. What was she to do? She didn't want to die, clearly. Yet, she also wasn't a fan of the idea of being turned into this monster's puppet, either. Above all, she still had to wait for her friends to call her. What a development she'd have to tell them!

She startled at the knocking at her front door. More than likely a concerned neighbor, what with the roar she'd emitted and the crash that followed with her hitting her dresser. She sighed, gathering her thoughts and collecting herself as she tugged her jacket sleeve over her wounds. May as well slap together a story about syncing her phone to a portable speaker and accidentally scaring herself, whatever it would take to ease the neighbor's mind.

She would tend to her wounds, later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, Happy New Year, everyone! And what better way to celebrate than to post a new chapter? XD
> 
> Finally got around to another "good part". Slow parts drag out for a ridiculously long time. @.@
> 
> We get to the part of the story where the clown lays it all out on the table, and now, Jay's got a decision to make. No way is she going to surrender her life to ensure the safety of her pack, but...could the Wolfe Pack endure any more of the clown's mind games?
> 
> (Heh, I literally spam-played a remix of 'The Wolf' by Siames during the 4+ hours it took me to type this. REALLY wanted to stay focused--and I think I've chosen Jay's theme. XD)


	14. Pandora's Box pt 1

Victor honestly began to feel as some member of the walking dead.

Tired all the time, hungry but unwilling to eat something. As if the food he touched would turn into something horrible, too. "Haunted" would be the word to describe the way he felt. That also fit in with recent experiences involving his own vehicle. Most would laugh if he told them, but since getting his license and scoring his own car, his recent haunts have all revolved around the four-wheeled object he now drove. It was bad enough that he and his friends had needed to flee for it back at the library, when they were attacked by some psycho clown. It only grew worse when they'd decided to split up. He remembered so clearly back when he'd first gotten the keys to the car. Not even 24 hours into owning it, and it was already damaged. How?

He had a certain circus freak to thank for that. It only took a short trip out of the house for him to cross paths with Pennywise, and the car was far closer than the house, itself. In his panicked state, all that he could recall were needle-sharp teeth and claws, a flash of silver and white as It chased him into his vehicle. He'd just missed being slashed open by inches, the car taking the strike for him. The engine had roared to life and he'd thrown the car in reverse, shifting gears to drive off as hurriedly as he could. The monstrous clown had remained in his rear-view mirror until trees and shrubs blocked his sights.

The only other time he'd been haunted by his vehicle was during his last grocery run, when he'd proceeded to put his purchases in the trunk. Just as he'd done many a time before, Victor had popped the trunk open, one hand lifting the hatch door, the other hand on his shopping cart to begin grabbing bags. He'd turned, about to drop in a bag, and froze. It was already occupied by a large garbage bag, open and flowing with...body parts. SEVERED body parts. Fingers, an eyeball, and what was left of a heart. Drying blood coated the rest of the interior. About to be ill, Victor had slammed his trunk shut, fighting nausea as his head was filled with a mocking laughter. He cringed, shivered, waited for the laughter to stop. The ginger had swallowed, daring to open his trunk again when he was convinced the clown had gone.

The trunk was empty.

He told no one about these encounters. Certainly not his "pack mates". Jay would have been furious. Habitual, in her case. She was always so easily angered. In their pack's case, that was a good trait. Meant she'd not be against standing up for them when they could not, themselves. However, even HE felt this wasn't something the self-proclaimed Alpha could tackle. Nobody could even get close to It, unless It wanted them to--which was rarely. Tired eyelids were forced to remain open as the ginger-haired young man sat behind the steering wheel, blinking in succession to try and rid of the dry sensation. He'd been assigned the duty of picking Jay up from home, the group still uncertain if leaving her alone to fend for herself was a good idea. He refused to sigh. Something told him nothing they tried was working. The clown was playing with them all, he knew. Eventually, the games would come to an end, and their "pack" would be down one Alpha. That's whom the clown was after, was he not?

The car soon stopped before the condos, Victor shifting it to Park before grabbing his phone to text Jay. When the message was sent, he tiredly dropped the phone in his lap and stared at himself in the mirror. What he referred to as "zombie eyes" looked back at him. 'Heck, when was the last time I'd slept?' he wondered, momentarily removing his square glasses to rub at his face. When this was all over, he would be darn sure to stay as far away from any circus or carnival as possible! There was eventual movement on his right, and he turned to spot Jay coming down the far staircase. She'd dressed in jeans and one of her Halloween hoodies again, hands shoved in their pockets. Over a shoulder, her bag hung, packed up for another "sleep-over". With her hand on the door handle, she waited for him to unlock it before attempting to climb in. "You look like heck," Victor commented, the passenger door slamming shut. "Good to see you, too," Jay mocked, but with a slight smirk.

Neither had to ask why the other looked as though they'd crawled out of a post-apocalyptic bunker. They already knew why.

"Got ya too, did he?" Jay asked, either way.

Her friend nodded back. "Yep. Besides punching a dent in my car's face, he, uh...decided to 'help' with my last grocery run." Victor's grip on the wheel tightened.

"...Lemme guess: nothing you and I would normally eat?"

"Unless you find human organs appetizing?"

She shook her head, lips pursed. 'That might change,' she thought to herself, bitterly.

"Good to know. So...any new developments with you?" he questioned her in turn. She spoke nothing, but lifted her injured arm and tugged down her sleeve to show off the medical wrappings she'd tied around it. "Harsh...! He bite you or something?" Victor muttered, focus flickering from her wounds to her face. "Claw marks," she clarified, pulling her sleeve back in place. "He chose to give me a last warning...and a choice." One of his brows quirked. "Choice? Of what?" Her head lowered, she choosing not to say. Yet. "I'm running out of time," was all she admitted. Victor thankfully didn't press on. This was serious, and he was positive the rest of the "pack" needed to hear this, too. Leaving it at that, he reminded Jay of her seat belt and shifted the car to Drive.

********************************************

The ride had been a silent one, despite the radio playing at a low volume. Victor occasionally cleared his throat, shifting in his seat to keep himself awake. He hadn't been sleeping, Jay could tell. That was wearing on her. Her pack was being affected by all of this. Something she COULD stop, in theory. But...no matter how she looked at it, either decision was going to rip her away from her closest friends. No matter what she chose, they would have to "learn to live without her", as Pennywise had put it.

Hunt by his side or die. She hated both options, and didn't want to choose one. Both her pride and her pack were at risk.

"We're here. The others should be arriving, soon," Victor suddenly stated. Unaware that the car had even stopped, Jay snapped to attention and silently grabbed her bag--using her uninjured arm, of course. She was soon out of the car and waiting for her host to lead her inside the house. While his grandfather's old house was being refreshed for his future use, Victor was still residing with his parents. Their house was elevated, wooden stairs leading up to it. A decent one-story, nothing exciting about it. Right now, ordinary was quite welcome. Jay followed him up, absentmindedly bracing herself against the banister. A rapid sting made her suck in air, reminding her of the previous encounter. The wounds were reminiscent of the bite marks embedded in that one book's cover, the one book she still had and kept housed in her book case. There weren't as many marks in her skin as there were on the cover, but in looking at them before she'd cleaned them up...well, she couldn't help but think back to that book. Some horrible imagery of the book suddenly seeping blood made her shiver. She tenderly rubbed her bandaged limb and encouraged herself to ascend the remaining steps.

"Right on time," Victor said as she reached the landing. He wasn't looking at her, but back down toward his car. She looked as well, finding Toby's truck halt and park. Both he and Winnie got out to grab their respective belongings. "Welcome aboard, me hearties," Victor announced rather casually, not even in the mood to assume a silly tone of voice. "My folks are out of town, so we've got the place to ourselves. Just so we're clear, I'm not cooking a darn thing, so you better be alright with pizza. If not...starve," the ginger continued jokingly with a slight gesture of his hand. He at least scored a few laughs, maybe a chuckle. Rare sounds, given what they all had suffered, thus far. Victor then moved to unlock the door, Jay standing perched as she watched Toby and Winnie ascend the stairs. Pointless, really. If this unseen danger wanted any of them, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She greeted both rather quietly, the last to enter the house. It was already getting dark out, and that eerie chill was settling back within her chest.

Lensed eyes scanned the distant trees, what sections of the street she could still see. Both were clear, no sign of a clown or ominous red balloon. He was out there, though. Probably watching her, right back. A sense of déjà vu clawed at her spine. Ah, yes. Reminiscent of the first time, when she was standing outside of PageTurner's. A sense that something was out there, something she couldn't see. Something dangerous. Unlike last time, though, she couldn't muster a growl. She didn't even manage a scowl. Her will was breaking, she knew--which was why unease claimed her features rather than anger. Perhaps Pennywise WAS trying to figure her out--and succeeding! Relenting in her search, Jay let her gaze drop, shaking off a cringe as she turned to enter the house.

As night fell and light filled the house, laughter began to break up the dread that had blanketed the "pack's" heads for weeks. Multiple tones and pitches, all emanating from the group of friends as Jay retold the story of her and Toby's visit to ScreamFest--BEFORE Pennywise had entered the picture. They sat around the island table in the kitchen, each chewing slices of pizza and trying not to choke as they laughed. "So, we're walking along the pathway in the dark, we can't see a thing, and at every little thing that jumps out at us, he's out in front of me, acting as though he's going to punch and kick his way through. He starts telling the actors they're liable to be smacked if they pull any cheap scares, acting all big and bad. Heheh, then as we're nearing the end of the house, we both stop and stare down this huge dude in a monster getup. Toby can't stop him self; he's walking up to this guy, claiming to be...uh...crap, what did you say?" Jay spoke, turning then to the white-blond as he was finishing his current slice.

"Master of Taekwondo," Toby stated.

"Except that he didn't finish his statement. All that came out was 'Taekwo', and he's interrupted by the guy's chainsaw revving up. I kid you not, this guy right here JUMPED backward against the wall, like--" Jay paused, imitating her friend's action of pressing herself against an imaginary wall, face pulled in an expression of terror. Winnie and Victor struggled to keep their full mouths closed as both fought to contain their laughter. "I'm like 'Taekwo--oh no!', and Lawrence straight-up BOLTS for the exit when the guy suddenly stomps toward us. I'm not moving, I'm laughing too hard," Jay finished with a grin, for once glad to see the glee on her friends' faces...and the shame on Toby's. "I didn't think he'd call my bluff," was his excuse, he then taking a gulp of his beverage. It took moments for the group to settle down, and for minor choking to stop. Once everyone was breathing easy, paper towels were passed around to dry faces. "Holy...it's been a while since I last laughed that hard," Winnie admitted, blowing her nose. "Been a while since ANY of us laughed that hard," Victor corrected, lightly coughing before soothing his throat with another drink. "Glad to know you guys find my misery hilarious," Toby picked, grabbing another slice from the nearly-empty box before him. A comfortable silence settled over them, as mouths and stomachs were given a chance to be filled.

With their bellies full, however...

"So, are we going to address the elephant in the room, or just gonna keep trying to ignore it?" Victor finally questioned, arms at rest on the table. The remaining trio displayed their dismay and regret in their expressions, honestly not wanting to talk about the entity likely roaming just outside their walls. "I think I speak for us all when I say we would rather not discuss the nightmare harlequin. Keep bringing him up, and we might just summon the whole darn circus," Toby shrugged, eyes now weary as he looked over his small group. "But we all know we can't ignore him, forever. What we're doing--what we've BEEN doing--isn't enough. He still got to Jay, and Heaven knows what he's done to her. For all we know, this is going to play out like a scene from 'Alien'. Might have some monster burst out of her at any time," Victor argued. The others cringed. "I doubt the clown's impregnated her, Vic," Toby replied, finding the idea itself disgusting.

"Hey--YOU don't know for sure. We can't even be sure he hasn't planted a bug in her brain; could be listening to us, right now. You don't know what he's done, and neither does SHE, for Pete's sake!"

Jay sighed, setting down her empty cup. "If you were that paranoid about me, Vic, you wouldn't have permitted me into the house. Sure, you're right: I don't know what he did to me. I don't even know if I'm putting you all in danger, currently. But it's better for us to stay together than to separate. That's what It wants."

"Oh, heck--stay together. Sure, like THAT panned out well, last time." Victor winced at his own tone of voice, noting Jay's hurt expression. "Sorry, Jay. I guess I got carried away," he mumbled, slouching in his seat. "Look, we're all a bit confused and...honestly, scared. Let's not fool ourselves, here. But Jay's right. If we break up now, he's just going to pick us off, one by one. Take us all out until Jay's the last one standing. THEN who knows what'll happen to her," Toby spoke, sounding so confident. As if he DID know what would happen. As if someone had told him. As if...someone had told him in his dreams. "For the time being, sticking together's our best option. Obviously, we're not going to be stuck together 24/7. We've got jobs to work. Now, I've managed to go by the library and check out some source material that might just help us out with our clown problem. We can look it over tomorrow, after everyone gets some sleep," Toby stated, referencing his duffle bag. "And I've been reading that one book from Jay's store," Winnie piped in, voice soft. "Y'know, the one she refuses to touch. There are so many pages to that thing, but...it might hold some secrets, too. I-I brought it with me. I could read a little more before I go to sleep."

Heh. Not much of a plan, but that's what they had to work with. "Then we'll call it a night, here. Get some rest. We'll tackle this head-on in the morning," the white-blond sighed as he stood. The others agreed, standing to clean up after themselves before heading off to bed. "My folks have a strict 'Girls Only, Boys Only' rule in place. Girls are in one room, guys in another. Toby, you're set up in my room. I'll show the ladies where they're sleeping," Victor said, dropping the pulled trash bag in the garage before leading the group onward.

**********************************************

She didn't know where this dream had taken her. Nothing looked familiar. The environment was far too foreign, too alien. Too...dark. She couldn't see anything, couldn't stand. She tried, but...for some reason, she was stuck on all fours. For what reason, she couldn't figure out. Even when looking down, all she could see was darkness. What bits of the dream DID creep through, she could barely remember. There was a light, a silhouette standing within it. Familiar in shape, especially with the object it was grasping. Its brilliant color...

She recalled growling, a noise so beastly to her own ears, and...a dark laughter.

"Nathan!"

Her eyes flew open as she was immediately dropped back into reality. Just like in the dream, the room around her was dark, yet not so much so that she couldn't see. Was...had that been Winnie, just now? Calling for Nathan? Panting softly, Jay noted how hot her own body felt, quick to kick the sheets off herself. She looked to her left at a bed that had been made up for Winnie. Thanks to the moonlight bleeding through the blinds, she was able to look and find...the bed was vacant. She turned to her right, toward the guest room door. It was wide open. Feeling like crap, Jay forced herself to sit up, hoping her unnatural body temperature would cool back down. The clown...Pennywise...had tried to infiltrate her dreams. Just as he had done with Toby. But why? Did he not pay her enough "visits" during waking hours? Her senses sharpened, her ears catching the most unusual sound. A growl. Repetitive. A sound that...SHE was making. Horror chilled her spine, and she reached up to grab at her throat, hoping to find what the cause was. Her breath hitched, something sharp dragging itself across her skin.

Were those...CLAWS?!

Her panting increasing, the growling accompanying it doing the same, she reached down, caught hold of her shirt. She hadn't changed out of the day's outfit, so it took her a moment to pull away enough clothing to bare her upper chest. A dim light burned below her flesh, an ache settling in her chest. Heart pounding, she hurried to her feet, knocking over an unused lamp as she stumbled for the closest mirror. Moonlight wasn't much to go by, but it was enough to let her find the full-body mirror and peer into it. Her reflection left her paralyzed. That was her hair. Those were her glasses. That was her outfit. That was NOT her skin. It was paper-white, lips a pitch black. That was NOT her nose. Its shape was altered, looking more canine-like than human. Those were NOT her eyes. The sclera were black, her irises a pale yellow. Most of her exposed teeth were the same, but...her canines? Now defined fangs! Both ears had grown pointed, Elven...perhaps wolven in appearance. And those claws she thought she felt? They were there. She peered down in her state of shock, finding her arms elongated, hands nearly three times their normal size, fingers long and thick, armed with large black claws. Her brain scrambled to determine exactly what it was she was turning into. From what she saw in the mirror, she looked an awful lot like...

The Wolf Man. A She-Wolf.

Her body shook, mutated hands reaching up to bury their claws in her hair as fright claimed her beastly features. A monster. She was becoming a monster!

"Nathan, wait!"

Her head whipped around, senses on fire. That was Winnie, again. She sounded further down the hall. What was this about Nathan? He wasn't--he COULDN'T be! Disregarding her own appearance, Jay bolted after her wandering friend, hoping to find her before It--HE--did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much planned for this chapter--SO MUCH--that I actually had to break it up into two parts. Part 2 will be up in a couple days. XD
> 
> NOW we're starting to find out what it is that scares Jay: losing control. Of the situation, of herself. And if Pennywise has turned her into a monster, then...what's he done with the rest of her "pack"? Wait and find out!


	15. Pandora's Box pt 2

Her rapid steps were silent ones, since she'd slipped off her shoes before collapsing in bed. Even with socks on, Jay could still feel the bite of Winter drifting along the wooden floors. It was due to snow, last she'd heard. The lights were off, but she could see clearly at night as she could during the day. Perhaps the changes to her eyes were responsible? For now, she was thankful, as she rushed on to locate Winnie. The house may have been only a story high, but it was certainly MASSIVE with rooms. Winnie could have been led anywhere. A few times, the transitioning monster had to stop and listen, pin-pointing her friend's whereabouts. Down darkened halls, she ran, skimming through rooms when she failed to find her target. Soon enough she passed through a doorway to find Winnie at the end of a hall, nearing the kitchen.

Said room was blaring with light, letting Jay see the retreating form of Nathan. Rather, the creature that was masquerading as Nathan.

"Nate, stop! Come back, please!" Winnie begged, not giving it a second thought as she crossed the threshold to the kitchen. Heart pounding, Jay felt her eyes widen and instantly darted after, easily gaining to grab Winnie by an arm. They stopped just short of the open doorway to the basement. "Win, no! It's not him! He's dead, remember? He's dead!" Jay cried out, catching Winnie by both arms when the latter tried to fight herself free. Sobs wracked the human's body, but halted her attempts to press on. She gave in. But then...Jay heard a sharp gasp, and Winnie ripped herself free from the unknown claws holding her. Stepping away, she whipped around, watery eyes taking in Jay's form. There were no words, but Winnie shook as she lifted a hand to her own mouth. "W-what's happening to you?" she rasped out, reminding Jay of her own appearance.

Jay wanted nothing more than to explain herself, to tell her this was all Pennywise's doing. Yet, her words--her voice--died behind sharpened teeth.

"Jay? Winnie!" Toby's voice called distantly from down the hall. Both females turned to the source, startled when they heard Nathan's chuckle and watched as both the kitchen and basement doors swiftly slammed shut. Winnie hurried to try and open them, but they wouldn't budge. The handles wouldn't even turn. "What's going on?! Make it stop!" the dark-haired woman pleaded, uselessly turning to Jay. The hybrid couldn't speak, couldn't act. What was she to do in this instance? She had no power, here.

Only It did.

Above all sounds, they heard the loud rattling of pipes, ripping their focus from the doors. Winnie's shriek pierced Jay's sensitive ears as the pipe-work of the sink ruptured, water gushing from the faucet, from the supposed broken pipes, and from the dishwasher. It quickly began to fill the room, triggering a panic attack in Winnie. Despite Jay's current mutations, Winnie stumbled forward to latch onto her, pleading for her to put an end to this nightmare. The hybrid was at a loss, her mind drawing a blank in terms of a solution. Winnie feared drowning. The clown knew that. It was that fear that incapacitated her, left her begging Jay to save her. He was nearby, and would show himself. He wouldn't let BOTH of them drown, after all. In trying to pull herself together, Jay practically dragged Winnie through the rising level, using a strength she didn't realize she had to lift her friend up onto the top of the fridge. Whatever put space between her and her greatest fear.

Despite the chaos, Jay secretly had to give the clown some credit. For an illusion, this felt pretty darn REAL.

She physically jumped as Winnie screamed once more, tipping Jay off to turn around and address the threat behind her. She did so--struggling in the nearly knee-level water. At first, beastly eyes found nothing, their escape routes still shut tight. She then looked down...and shoved herself backwards into the fridge. Her elbow collided with the ice dispenser, humorously dumping cubes down her arm. Poking his head just above water-level was the clown responsible for this impromptu Escape Room. His normally-fluffy hair hung down around his head, golden eyes only on the She-Wolf. From the rising water, he rose, mouth pulled in a terrifying grin. Jay knew what he wanted; there was no need to ask. She could spare the "pack" and give up her Light. Or, she could keep it, spare her own life, and force her friends to endure more of this torture. Well...neither option sounded like an ideal choice. Jay only hung her head, eyes closed tight in her mental struggle.

"There is another way~"

Her eyes opened, head lifting at the clown's words. "...What...?" she muttered under her breath. Instantly, her panicking friend atop the fridge was forgotten. The chill of the water lapping at her legs was forgotten. The sounds in the distant hall were forgotten. All that mattered then were herself and the clown before her. Nothing about him had changed, other than the lifting of an arm, the offering of an over-turned palm. "Come with me, and I will show you," he instructed, tone calm and casual. As if the room WASN'T currently flooding. Her lips pursed, worried eyes shifting to Winnie. The young woman sat curled on top of the fridge, crying. She'd be of no help, right then. 'Guess it's time I made an Alpha decision,' Jay thought, muscles laxing. Both pairs of monstrous eyes were locked. "Leave them be...and I'll go," she conditioned. As if to agree, Pennywise emitted a low rumble of a growl, the lights above their heads beginning to flicker. Before he could advance, Jay snapped to attention at the loud banging on the kitchen door. Toby, Victor. They called out from the other side. From safety. She never had the chance to call back to them.

She peered back at Pennywise in time to see him lunge forward, arms closing around her and pulling her to him--just as they both fell back into the water. The lights flickered out, drowning the room in darkness. Silence swallowed the enclosed space. The lights came back on...and the kitchen was normal. There was no water, no broken pipes. As if what just happened had been as Jay thought: an illusion. With the turning of the handle, the kitchen door opened. Toby and Victor stood there, giving the room a look as they entered. Hadn't there been water seeping under the door, just then? "Winnie? Winnie, what are you doing up there?" Victor asked, rushing to aid her from off the fridge. The remaining female offered no answers, far too shaken to even speak. Toby, meanwhile, looked about the kitchen, then checked the basement for their absent pack mate. "Where's Jay?" he immediately asked. Ridiculous question; he felt he already knew where she was. Yet, before he could prod further...

"Y-you probably don't want to see her," Winnie sniffled, face barely lifted from Victor's chest as she looked to Toby. "She's not the same..."

Not the same? What did she mean by that? Winnie didn't give him the chance to ask, burying her face in the ginger's long-sleeved shirt. Whatever she meant, it left Toby feeling sick. Pennywise had come back for her, no doubt. And this time, he sensed, the clown wouldn't be giving her back.

**********************************************

Everything felt damp when she regained consciousness. A cough wracked her body, the familiar stench of the sewers filling her lungs with every intake of air. She didn't have to guess where he'd taken her. "Home", apparently. Her vision came to her rather quickly, a headache bouncing about in her skull as she sat up. She was not in the wooden wagon, but out on the cleared ground of the sewer floor. A small vein of water quietly trickled by on her right, the first to grab her attention. Fighting nausea, and the cold, she pivoted her body, expecting to see a giant clown at her back. There wasn't a giant clown, but there WERE considerably less children floating about in his trap. Evidently, he'd been munching on them during his persistent torment of Jay's pack. Not like he had time to go hunting between haunts, after all. A bittersweet realization. On one hand, more children had died in the midst of the clown's games. On the other, no new bodies had been stacking up. If there was a silver lining to be found from her pack's suffering...

In silently counting what children remained, Jay sniffled and rubbed at her nose. "He's going to need to restock, soon." She paused at her own statement. Why did she say that? Was that really HER, or had that been a comment from her own Light? Could it talk? Was it manipulating her thoughts? Did it even have that power? Jay growled at herself, shutting down all questions. They weren't answers she could provide. Giving herself a good shake, the brunette got to her feet, feeling cold, but finding her clothes dry. Bizarre...wasn't she drenched, a second ago? She frowned at the dirtied state of her clothes, careful not to drop her sock-covered feet in any puddles. So, where was the clown, now?

"Look, look! Our new friend has finally awoken!" his jovial-toned voice announced.

Speak of the devil.

Jay turned until she could clearly see his wagon, the direction from which she'd heard him, just then. It was not open, and he was not on its stage for a performance. Instead, he'd perched himself on its roof, sitting with his legs dangling over an edge. Once she located him, he offered her a friendly smile and a wave. She was not amused. "Y'know, if you'd wanted me to take a bath, you could have just said so," she stated, wiping water from her glasses. "Oh, but a pool party's far too much fun. Don't you agree?" he replied, child-like glee never faltering. She shot him an incredulous look, "Yeah--OUTSIDE." Despite her best interest, she allowed herself a few steps closer to him. "What was it you wanted to show me, anyway?" She flinched the second her last word left her mouth, as the clown instantly launched himself from his perch to land before her. She didn't try to resist as an arm was wrapped around her, keeping her pinned at his side. "Yes, yes! I will show you!" he nodded, his strange urgency leaving her speechless. What was happening? Wasn't he trying to frighten her friends into flat-lining a little bit ago? Why was he behaving as if they were close pals, now? Her jaws remained shut tight as he ushered her into a new chamber. Likely the heart of whatever domain he'd established for himself. A quick once-over was engaged as they walked. Proportionally, Jay's body was back to normal. Her skin was still chalk-white, her nails still black claws. She reached, finding her nose still canine-like, her ears still pointed. Her teeth? She ran her tongue over them, and--yep. Still sharp. She frowned at the taste of her own blood.

They soon arrived in the designated chamber. Large, containing only what Jay could describe as...a crash site? An impact zone? A crater? The core of the chamber was filled with the abrupt formations of something solid, jagged. Like spikes jutting out to protect whatever had been at its center. "What's all this?" she wondered, briefly gesturing to the scene before them. The brunette paid no mind to the gloved hand shifting on her upper arm. Pennywise didn't appear willing to say, at first. His companion never thought he would. "This was...where I first woke," he said, faintly turning to look at her. "Where I was when I discovered I'd lost you." Short brows furrowed at him. When he'd lost HER? Oh. No. Not HER, per say. The Light she harbored. Her expression switched gears from perplexed to understanding, her body stepping forward with the surprisingly-gentle push he proceeded to give her. Down the rock-like walls of the crater, she walked, watchful that she didn't trip with her next step. Around layers of jagged spikes, she moved, nearing the formation's center. As she wandered closer, she noticed a light growing brighter above her head, shining down upon her. Her lenses reflected some of this light as she peered up.

Three orbs of a brilliant yellow glow had slowly descended from above. Lights that Jay recalled seeing, once before. Yes...Pennywise had tried to trap her in their grip, once. There was great pain, then. Where was it, now? As she stood staring, she felt a sharp pang of that very pain in her chest. A burn, quickly growing intense, crawled up into her throat, almost begging to be let out. Lightly-bared teeth remained clenched.

"Let it free, Jay," came the clown's voice. She shivered, lifting her gaze to find him standing among the layers of spikes. "Uncage it," he repeated, expression oddly calm, despite the piercing gold of his eyes. Let...let it out? How? Would she not die? No; that wouldn't be the case. The clown's three lights were just above their heads, and yet he was still standing. Was this chamber the only safe place they could be released? Was this what he was hoping to show her? Her throat tightened. Her stomach heaved, and she doubled over. A few stomach-churning gags, a resulting cough, and the burning in her body was expelled. Saliva dribbled down her chin, which she wiped away as she peered up at what had been spewed forth. A fourth orb of light, this one a warm orange. A light that apparently drained her of her strength, as she then felt incredibly weakened. Her body stumbled, falling back against the spikes for support, while she stared in awe. Her Light rose to meet its former brethren, standing out from their yellow hue. They faintly pulsated, as if to communicate with each other. Not too soon after, Jay felt her head lower, eyes closing. This was not something she controlled, no. This was the "something" Pennywise wanted to show her.

At first, they were simply flashes, snippets of color. Bits and pieces of voices, conversations. Sentences she couldn't decipher. People she didn't recognize. Then...her vision shifted. Through another's eyes, she looked. A man. A man dressed as if to hide among the public eye. A man whom spoke softly, trying to avoid pricking his own tongue. He sat across from another man in a suit. In a diner, perhaps. They spoke, and she tried to listen.

"...t to thank you, for even giving me the time of day," muttered the male in her POV. The man across from "her" smiled invitingly. "It's no trouble; we will be glad to have you. And don't worry. If anyone even looks at you mockingly, you just let me know. I'll take care of it," the other man replied, extending a hand. The male in her POV reached a strangely hairy and...clawed...hand in return. They shook on some agreement. The next Jay saw, the man in her POV was performing stunts of strength and speed on a stage before many entertained eyes. Her great-grandfather, she realized. Alexander Wolfe. This was what he'd witnessed, experienced, after having discovered Pennywise's missing Deadlight. From the following "memories", Jay could tell her great-grandfather had taken pleasure in his established new life and role. Audiences loved him, if not found him frightening. He'd become fast friends with the circus head, a "Mr. Gray". The man whom assumed the role of...

Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

This...was NOT the same clown, however. Even while the costumes were similar, the person behind the clown was not. The Pennywise in the memory LOOKED human, while the one in the chamber with her did not. So..."A" Pennywise had been her great-grandfather's friend, not THIS Pennywise. But what had happened? She next saw the memory of her great-grandfather, of Alexander, losing control of himself, of his Deadlight, and attacking a helpless guest. There was blood, but...no death. "You have a choice to make," an unknown voice said, the vision shifting to view Mr. Gray with the authorities. "It's either you surrender him into our custody, or we shut this whole operation down." An ultimatum. Mr. Gray didn't seem settled with either. "So many count this circus as the roof over their heads, the family they never had. Who would I be to take all of that away from them?" Gray argued. The vision blurred, the remainder of that conversation lost. Gray eventually hung his head. Alexander was ultimately turned over, sent away. Locked up, as her parents had long told her. But then...the visions changed. Morphed and manipulated to showcase a point of view from an unknown observant. Gray suffered, the circus failing. One evening, someone came to see him. He was attacked, ambushed, overpowered. And rather quickly, devoured. All by some unidentified beast. The creature's form was altered, turning into the likeness of Mr. Gray. Of Pennywise. It was never made clear for how long Alexander had been away from the circus, or for how long it took this Pennywise to find the original Mr. Gray and snuff him out. It wasn't even made clear for how long since then that this Pennywise had been hunting for his missing Light.

If Jay had to guess? An impossibly-long time.

The stream of visions ceased, letting Jay rejoin reality. Her brain registered a couple things when she did. She'd fallen on her knees, hands helping to prop her up. Her appearance had returned to normal, hands no longer beastly. Her eyes were still monstrous, black surrounding pale-yellow. A lot was on her mind, and...beside her, Pennywise had crouched, as if curious to know if she were okay. A ruse, as he never cared for anyone. Wolven eyes met his blue ones. A calm breath filled her lungs, expelled through her nose. She had questions. He had the answers. She darn well better get those answers, this time.

She swallowed quietly.

'Ask not for what he wants; you already know.'

Dry lips parted.

"What is the role you wish for me to play?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, this was a lot! Too much to put in one Part, huh? XDDDD
> 
> Looks like more than one Pandora's box is going to be opened. What secrets are due to be revealed in the next one? :o


	16. Corruption by Moonlight pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuugghhhh--I had to break up another one into two parts; I'm sorry! DX
> 
> But from this point on, it's gonna start getting nasty. Don't expect pleasantries for the Wolfe Pack. Lyrics are from a song called "Echo" by Gumi, if I'm not mistaken.

Her breathing slowed, growing calm.

Blue eyes closed, she kept regulating her breaths, hearing focused on the distant dripping of water droplets.

Plop...plop...plop...

She'd started counting them. It was otherwise quiet, and she was alone. There was much she needed to think over, think about. Consider, debate. What was right, what was wrong. The pros and cons. Rewards and consequences. Light pulsed beyond her eyelids, persistent as a video game fairy in trying to snag her attention, rouse her from her concentration. It was practically the only light source remaining, since the clown had taken the other three. Human eyes slid open, her Light dimming in result to keep from blinding her. Her body had returned to normal, the Light holding little power over her while outside its shelter. It was down to just her and her Light in this alien chamber. Yes. There was much she'd to think over. In staring at her hovering Light, and somehow not going bat-crud insane, she recalled the conversation from only minutes ago.

"I can't give back your Light without dying; we both know this. And because I have it, you can't or won't kill me. But why?" she'd prompted.

There were no giggles or chuckles in his speech, his tone serious. She'd chosen to ignore the drool trailing off his lips. "I do not desire it back. No...current arrangements require for you to keep it. You live...but I request something dear in return," he'd replied. She'd frowned, having read enough fan-fiction to shudder at what he might be asking for. A part of her was relieved to hear what he'd suggested, instead.

"A favor. Maybe two, later on. For now, one. And nothing more."

She'd given him the clear to state it. He'd told her. She'd blinked in short-lived confusion. "You want me to...? You want to turn Derry into a literal 'tourist trap': let outsiders in, let no one back out. Like herding cattle into a pen, chickens to a coop. And you want ME to be the fangs poised to strike at Derry's border, like a darn wolf outside the ranch's fence." Her words were not in the form of a question. It was an accusation, perhaps stating a fact. Her short brows furrowed. "Why?"

The clown in silver didn't respond, only grinned.

"...You can't leave Derry, can you?"

"A curse, you may say," he'd spoken. His confirmation.

"...And when you're not out hunting...you want your 'hound' out there, keeping the fodder in check."

After all, Pennywise couldn't leave Derry. Yet when he Slept, the town's inhabitants COULD. They would grow wise, depart the "cage" while they still could. Likely never return, if they were smart. Nothing the clown could do during his Rest, while potential prey wandered beyond his territory. Let them in, let no one out. Be that "something" that keeps the meat seasoned, keeps the prey contained. At least, until the primary hunter could return and claim his next meal. A hunting dog to a seasonal hunter, in other words. "Riddle me this," she'd suddenly said, having cast a side-glance to the Lights, above. "Why would I do this for you? You won't kill me, so threatening my life is useless."

"Perhaps. Threatening your 'pack's' lives, however...~"

A growl scratched at the front of her throat. "You'll not lay another claw on them, hear me?"

"You think, do you? Hmm...even better: you do Ol' Pennywise this favor, and he'll remove them from the menu, entirely."

She'd paused, suspicious. "You're serious?"

Saliva pattered the ground in a few droplets. "Won't even consider them the Chef's Special~" he grinned, slyly.

Hm. Well, at least he knew how to stay relevant to current era, given how long he'd been on this planet. Still, if she WERE to do this for him, she'd have to sweeten the deal. "I do this, you leave the Wolfe Pack alone. No haunts, no teases, no deaths. I don't even want to hear about a killing."

Shockingly, he bowed. "Considered done~"

...What had she agreed to? Prowl the perimeters of Derry's "fence" to keep the stragglers in? No doubt, people would come. Oh, WOULD they come! Drawn in by the mystery that was Derry, wanting to take a crack at solving the town's missing cases. Perhaps even bring the killer to justice; be a town hero! They would come, and SHE'D made it her duty to keep them penned in. The question was, could she do it? "That's a lot of souls to keep in check, Pen. How am I even going to do that much?" Casual-toned, as if speaking with a lifelong friend.

Light-blue eyes turned to gold as they shifted to their Lights--hinting her to look, as well.

"You have much to learn...but I can teach you~" he told her. She didn't need a college degree to understand what he'd meant: learn to wield those fangs, and keep them readied along Derry's outskirts. "Become a monster", essentially. She wasn't sure then if she were ready, and wasn't sure--even now. A shaken breath had been drawn. Pennywise had awaited an answer. "I need time..." was all she could muster. Thankfully, he'd permitted her just that. "You have until my return," he'd conditioned, drawing his Lights to him in his on-going departure. Jay had been right: he needed to restock.

She'd been down here in the dark, since.

Her gaze was averted from her Light, head resting on crossed arms that were propped up by her knees. Sitting in silence let her think. Doing him THIS favor would spare her friends any more pain, and she'd get to LIVE. Win-win, right? But...if they lived, then...others would have to die. They'd become food. Clown fodder. She shivered. Could she live on while knowing that? That blood would be on her hands, regardless of whether or not her new-found fangs spilled it? Eyes flickered back to her Light. She needed to consult with her pack. If they could grin and bear it, maybe...

She let an arm move, a hand rise almost to cup the Light. What compelled her in that moment, she didn't know. In staring at the Deadlight, she felt her lips part. Her voice was but a whisper. "The clock stopped ticking forever ago..." A song. One she'd heard many a time before, and found appropriate to sing, even now. Something she did only when she was alone, for fear others would mock and insult her. "How long have I been up? I don't know." Her fingers curled, as if in motion to grab the alien light. Something she couldn't do, as the orb was not solid. "I can't get a grip, but I can't let go. There wasn't anything to hold on to, though." Her voice grew, her other hand reaching to join its companion. "Why can't I see? Why can't I see? All the colors that you see." Her eyes briefly narrowed. "Please, can I be...please, can I be...colorful and..." Her voice dropped once more, conflict blossoming on her face. "Free," she spoke lowly, ceasing her singing tone. The Deadlight's glow darkened, as if responding to this conflict she felt. 'Free'. From society, from its rules and regulations, from her parents' expectations. What a blessing...! But everything has a cost; something must be paid in turn. For this freedom, her toll would be not in coin and paper money, but in blood. Did she even have the nerve, the instincts, to see herself spill it? If she needed to bite, could she do it?

And if she did? If she didn't? THAT in itself terrified her: the consequences she would face if she couldn't live up to Pennywise's expectations. She was willingly making herself a pawn for him to play, yet...she wasn't like him. A monster. She fought only in the defense of herself and her pack mates. NEVER had she tried to claim someone's life! She'd ultimately have to, but...

COULD she? Say she did, then she'd have to carry that death over her head. Say she didn't. Would the clown finally kill her? After all, what good was a hunting dog if it weren't willing to bite the prey?

She shook her head. She was wasting time; she had to seek out her pack! Steeling herself, Jay hesitantly opened her mouth, willing the Deadlight closer. Passed her parted jaws and down her throat, it traveled, intense heat settling once again in the core of her chest. Simultaneously, life and strength poured into her, flooding every vein and nerve. It was as if she'd been sitting on Death's porch, waiting until now to grab the rope leading back to the world of the living. Jay had until Pennywise came back, didn't she? Well, then she wasn't going to stick around. Up on her shoeless feet, she stood, lensed eyes peering about the chamber for a way out. Quickly, she observed the large drainage pipes jutting out from the stone walls. Unused, as far as their intended purpose was. For underground travel, however...

As if powered by her Deadlight, Jay let her body lurch forward, a jog turning to a running leap as she neared a pipe. A strength not previously her own shot through her muscles, launching her up to the pipe's open mouth. She just barely caught it, able to pull herself up. First try wasn't perfect, but she hadn't fallen. There was THAT little piece of gold. The cracked pipework rubbed painfully against her body as she crawled inside, once again on her feet to scurry down the enclosed path. There were no lights, but her beastly vision granted her sight even in this darkness. Tunnels stretched on ahead, turning sharply this way and that. Jay soon could relate to how hamsters felt. Surely this was far more amusing to THEM than it was currently to her. And the whole way she wandered, she had to hope she wouldn't cross tunnels with Pennywise. She could almost already imagine him coated with blood from the mouth, down. He'd probably drag some "leftovers" with him, pausing with a hint of confusion as to why she were in the pipes, herself. Where would she be going?

She shivered, growling lowly at herself. 'Get that out of your head,' she scolded mentally, taking what empty tunnels had opened up until the sounds of the outside world grabbed at her ears. Excitement filled her, and she ran, onward. The mouth at the other end of this maze spit her out on dry ground, tall weeds leading up to the surrounding forest. The sky above was dark, illuminated by stars and the rising full moon. A sigh, then a smile crossed her face. One of few things that made her smile, the full moon. Ah. She knew where she was, now. Somewhere along the tail-end of the Barrens. The little nips and tucks where it was dryer, hidden. Before everyone got jobs, this was where she and her pack would hang out, watch Nathan dowse his school friends with a Super-Soaker, while she and the pack ate sandwiches, listened to music. Hm...if she remembered correctly, Nathan had found a cave around here, declared it his hideout. Her socks did little to cushion her steps as she walked along the smoother path through the Barrens. Snow had already fallen, a light layer of the stuff covering most of the land. The water hadn't yet frosted over, but Winter had only just begun. It wasn't even cold yet, but that would change, give or take a few more nights. Eyes were trained on the rising ground at her right. 'Should be right around--' She froze in place. Ah...there it was.

Plant-life nearly swallowed the cave's mouth, but it was still there. Nathan's hideout, and the pack's shelter when they couldn't leave the Barrens in time before the rains blew in. She remembered laughing most of the time when that happened. Staring at the cave entrance, she couldn't make up her mind whether to feel sick or enjoy that fuzzy-warm feeling. Those feelings were stuck in a blender, unfortunately. She sighed instead, letting that breath out, slowly. She'd apologize at Nathan's grave, one day. For now, socked feet continued their stroll, dirty now with whatever she'd stepped in. She frowned. Home wasn't far from here; she could stop by there and--

Oh, right. Her keys were in her bag--back at Victor's. Well...she lived on the second floor, anyway. Typically, one of her bathroom windows was left unlocked, in case of emergency, such as a fire or something. 'Guess for tonight, it's going to be my way in,' she thought, seeing herself out of the Barrens' backyard. There was nobody to talk to, no music to listen to. She decided to resume her secret habit, since there were no other ears present to hear her. "What the 'ell's going on? Can someone tell me, please? Why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV?" she sang, voice caught between soft and loud. Enough so that she could hear, but not so much that others could hear her. Hopefully. "I'm black then I'm white. No, something isn't right. My enemy's invisible; I don't know how to fight." Up a steep bank, she walked, finally crawling up on a key road. Unkempt flora held this road in a tightening grip, blocking her view of what may lie ahead. A car, most likely. Jay stuck to the side of the road, regardless. Now she just had to get home, refresh herself, and prepare to face down her pack, once more. "The trembling fear is more than I can take when I'm up against the echo in the mirror," she sang on, finding comfort in the fact that nobody else seemed to be out, this night. Sadly, before she could hum the rest of her little tune to herself...

"Aww, I KNEW my ears weren't deceiving me~"

...An interruption. Jay hunched her shoulders, displeasure on her face as she quickened her steps. And here she'd been doing such a good job, avoiding him! "Not tonight, Ray. I'm not in the mood," she spoke, hearing rustling in the dry weeds behind her. Apparently, the Barrens weren't just a "typical hang" for the Wolfe Pack and a group people referred to as "The Losers' Club". Norman's gang was out here, too. He and three other guys he normally killed time with, the "party folk" they were. She could practically FEEL the dirty-blond's grin, picture the lowering of his shades, as unnecessary as they were. "My lil' lady's wanderin' by her lonesome, singin' like a blue jay~" Ray continued, ignoring Jay's comment, altogether. There were some snickers from his pals, the group not a "gang" entirely, but misfits, nonetheless. Men Ray paid to stick around, as Jay figured. They do as he wishes, they get a lovely "bonus check" by the end of the week. Came with the territory of being a rich car salesman. "A blue jay that might jab out an eye, if you guys don't bug off," Jay returned with the rising of her short brows.

They didn't take her seriously. "We've been lookin' all over town for ya. What are ya doin' out here, by yourself? Ya get in a fight with your buds, or somethin'?" Ray pressed, jogging to catch up. "None of your business what I'm doing out here. Maybe I just wanted to take a quiet walk?" she shot back, avoiding bringing up the incident with Pennywise. Ray glanced down, puzzled, "In socks?" Her lips pursed. Not as if she'd the time to put her shoes back on! "Forgot my shoes," she offered up, aware it wasn't true. "Well, would ya like a ride home? Let ya clean up, and...maybe we could go out for drinks?" the persistent male attempted. "Legal drinking age is 21, and I'm not that old, yet," the brunette countered. "Sodas, then," he tacked on. "Not up for either. Just leave me to my walk." Ray fell back out of sight as Jay moved on, thinking he'd finally taken the hint. Except, he didn't. "C'mon, y'know, you're waaaay too serious. Loosen up a bit, have a little fun. The guys and I can help ya with that," he said after her. Before she could reply, arms looped themselves under both of hers. On either side, Ray's "lackies" held her up by her underarms, halting her progress. "Hey, now! I did NOT agree to this! Drop me!" she demanded, ignored as they carted her back toward Ray's vehicle. A night in his company was NOT on her agenda. "Guys, seriously--put me down!" she ordered again, knowing this was not going to end well. For them.

Inside, she felt her Deadlight throb, burning, as a sort of S.O.S. A silent signal crying out, "I need help!" A cry she couldn't pacify, not on her own. Not against a group of nearly-adult men. She knew they weren't likely to cause her any trauma, but...she never wanted to spend her time in their company, either. Despite the not-so-subtle hints she'd been dropping them, they wouldn't just screw off. THAT infuriated her the most. That they were purposely ignoring her. In her struggling, she happened to peer further down the road, toward a bend she'd been trying to head for, originally. Pennywise was there, lacking a balloon and--thankfully--any blood. It was possible she'd somehow cut his hunt short with this stupid little escapade. Her mouth shut, useless as their mental conversation ensued. 'I know, I know. Don't berate me; I screwed up. Just help me,' she thought, expression matching up to her mental words. The clown didn't respond, but stared with a hooded glare. He would help only in one way...but she wasn't sure she was willing, ready. Her mind was made up fast, as she heard Ray remotely unlock his vehicle. Struggle was evident on her face, before she gave in and gave up an answer. She visibly slackened. 'Okay...I'll do it. Please?' The tightness in her chest eased, essentially opening the channels to the rest of her body. Again, there wasn't much of a response on the clown's part...but he DID permit a grin.

And the Deadlight within her IGNITED.


	17. Corruption by Moonlight pt 2 (Minor Warning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Minor warning for character death and some graphic description in the following chapter.**
> 
> How nice it was to work on some werewolf content, again! Been forever ago since I last did one over on DeviantArt. Thankfully, werewolves are in a sense canon in this universe. Pennywise is still present for this one, although be might be a little out of character in the last half. (Have to remember, though, he needs Jay to like/trust him if his plans for her are to be successful.)
> 
> Also, I DID mention betrayal in the tags somewhere, didn't I?
> 
> (Just FYI, Jay's werewolf form can be best described as a cross between Viergacht's (DeviantArt) werewolves (https://www.deviantart.com/viergacht/art/Draw-a-Werewolf-Day-Road-Rage-438171987) and Skyrim's werewolf, just without the tail and some modifications to the feet.)

Blue eyes widened, limbs tensing as white-hot pain spread all throughout her body--far more intensely than she'd expected. Her head was thrown back, jaws open to cry out. Had it not been for the pain, she would have been surprised to hear a ROAR in place of her voice. It was enough to make the arms holding her drop her, the group of young men rapid in giving her some space. Confusion and a spike of fear kept them planted where they stood. The roar alone should have been enough to end this. It should have stopped there. But it didn't. Blue eyes turned black, irises a pale-yellow. The pale-peach tone of her skin turned to white, just as it had done back at Victor's house. Yet, unlike last time, the white it turned wasn't simply a vibrant chalk-white. No. This time, it was more deathly in tone, as if she'd just died, and all of the color had faded from her very being. There was slight morphing in her face and ears, overlooked as Jay began to feel her body shift, transform. The most noticeable right then was the tearing of the flesh along her back, something clawing its way out. Fur, if she had to guess.

Having been dropped so unceremoniously, Jay remained on her hands and knees, trying to keep her eyes forced open during the agony her physical form was enduring. All that filled her vision--besides the ground--were her hands, all that she could watch as they were mutated. Blood dripped as the seemingly-dead flesh tore, a brightly-toned white flesh replacing it. From her human skin, elongating fingers grew, thickening to bear canine-like paw pads and large black claws. Hands three times their original size soon led up into elongating arms, the bones and muscles stretching, growing. Black fur sprouted down the backs of these hands and along these arms, her body also building in just enough muscle to lend enough strength to her beastly form without stealing away too much from her feminine build. Her body easily filled in her otherwise baggy hoodie, fur continuing to grow along her back and torso. It traveled down her body to the tops of her feet, her legs reforming into something more animal-like. Most of her now white-toned feet, like her hands, remained bare of black fur. Yet, instead of taking on a more canine-like shape, they transformed into a shape most resembling a bear's, each toe bearing a sharp black talon--which shredded her socks.

The transformation nearing a close, blood slowly stopped dripping, the skin she'd shed having fallen to the ground and shriveled up. The last change to occur came as Jay unknowingly reached her beastly hands to the back of her head, where her new claws sunk in. They pulled, ripping apart the dead layers of human flesh. A mane of black fur poked through, replacing what was torn away. As if tugging off a Halloween mask, Jay stripped her morphing body of her human face, one resembling some form of 'Wolf Man' then revealed. Her white face and ears were bare of the fur, the first more wolf-like yet lacking any sort of muzzle, the latter stretched pointed and faintly bat-like. Her canine-like nose shined with building moisture, sharpened yellowish fangs unsheathed from black lips. Everything was silent as the newly-transformed she-wolf recovered, her panting deep and rumbling. There was no explaining how or what she felt then, her altered vocal cords temporarily unable to produce human speech. A dark-pink tongue brushed across her fangs, saliva slowly beginning to pool in her mouth. The pain had gone, a residual sensation of raw power all that was left behind.

She snapped to attention at a whimper, the large beast turning on all fours toward the source. Yellow irises came to focus on the group of young men, now starting to huddle together. All of them wore some level of dread, of fear, on their faces. The wolven creature took in a few sniffs, met with scents she'd never smelled, before. Scents she could only describe as faintly sweet, perhaps bitter or sour. Her pointed ears picked up on their heartbeats, their increased breathing. Oh--NOW they were scared? She'd tried to warn them; tried to tell them. They didn't want to listen. And suddenly, she felt an increasing hunger in the pit of her stomach. How long ago had she eaten? It was pizza with the pack, wasn't it? So long ago now, it seemed. Somewhere in the background, Pennywise lingered, watching. Oh, that's right: he hadn't successfully hunted anything that night, had he? Oh, no--because he'd come instead to answer the distressed cry of her Deadlight. Well...suppose she owed him something in return. After all, why give her the fangs and claws if she weren't to use them?

She stood then on her two legs, up-right at a temporary full height of six feet tall, maybe six feet and a few inches. She wasn't that much taller than the boys, but she certainly bore enough muscle to out-weigh them. Air filled her lungs, bared teeth beginning to drip with saliva. "Oh sh--" one of them muttered, immediately cut off by the second booming roar she threw their way. Like a gunshot, they bolted for the presumed safety of Ray's sports car--Ray scrambling for the driver's seat. Their abrupt running was her trigger. On all fours, she chased after, closing the distance between them as they hurriedly slammed their doors shut. Cries and shouts to "gun it" were tossed about, the car's engine eventually roaring to life. The back tires spun, kicking up pieces of earth in its attempt to speed away. The werewolf was far faster, able to catch the vehicle by its rear before it could make its escape. Large fingers dug in blade-sharp claws, super-human muscles easily lifting the car's rear from the ground. She ignored the screams from inside. No, all she felt in that moment was anger. Pure, unfiltered anger.

'I'd told you to go away.'

The car was lifted to chest-level.

'I'd told you to leave me be.'

With a snarl, the beast gave the vehicle a harsh shove, throwing it over onto its roof. The impact caused said roof to cave in, all of the windows shattering.

'I'd told you over and over again, swatted you away so many times before. You self-claimed ownership over me, dared to challenge any male that so much as looked at me.'

Growling, the beast crawled over the flipped car, the screaming from inside the metal object on wheels never ceasing.

'I'd pushed you to go...but you didn't. You ignored me.'

She neared the right side of the car, purposely avoiding the driver's side.

'You'll ignore me, no more.'

Moving swiftly, Jay plunged a monstrous hand into a window, grabbing hold of one of the men and just as quickly pulling him from the vehicle to throw him feet away from it. It was here that she'd met that threshold, again. Sure, up until now, she'd just been scaring the mess out of them. Exactly as she'd tried to do so many times before in the past: scare them all away. Now? Well, she was at that threshold where she had to decide: hunt and slay, or let run away. Had she been alone, perhaps the latter. Yet, with Pennywise lurking, well...he was expecting SOMETHING. But if she did this, went through with it, there would be no going back. This blood would be on HER hands. For a moment, she stalled, doubting herself. Even while turned into a werewolf, she could still reason. Could she do this?

"Feeling stuck?" she heard the clown question in her mind. Audibly, she couldn't speak, growls taking place of words. Her eyes shut. "A little," she mentally admitted. This would be her first kill, if she could pull it off. Control was in HER court, not the clown's. At least, it was--for now. "If you need a little advice, I would suggest going for the jugular. Makes it a quick death~" Pennywise informed, giving what little push he could. Beastly eyes opened, snapping to focus on the frightened young man trying to scurry away. Pale-yellow eyes turned intense. Fleeing was apparently her trigger, as it set her off once more. The car groaned as she launched herself in another sprint, easily catching and grounding her fleeing victim. Claws pinned him at his shoulders, her head lowered to fasten her fangs around the back of his neck. With pressure, they dug in, warm blood rushing in to wash over her tongue. Metallic, yet sweet. Her prey struggled, begged, coughed the more she bit down. In that instant, she heard her friends' voices, all of them reminding her that this was wrong, that she didn't have to do this.

She bit harder. Those coughs grew strained.

She wasn't a monster. Not like HIM.

Coughing turned to gasping, the flailing slowing.

...Yes. Yes, she was. She was NOW.

She bit down fully, unable to unhinge her jaw like Pennywise could, and so had to determine a new tactic on how to finish this one off. Strengthened muscles were put to the test as she then gave her victim a violent shake. Each shake let her fangs dig deeper, deeper still. Once. Twice. Three times--and his head rolled from his body. Stunned, she turned surprised eyes shift to the severed head, then to the corpse. She'd...she'd actually done it...! A feral sensation overpowered her, beastly eyes narrowing as quivering black lips were pulled back, gleaming fangs--trickling with blood--soon plunged into the corpse's rib cage. Claws dug, bones were pulled, broken. Crimson spattered her white flesh, sticking to her midnight-black mane and dripping off the fur that crawled to a halt just below her jawline. This, she paid no mind. For now, all she worried about was eating her fill. Something pulsating, pounding its last, was seized in her teeth, swallowed whole. A heart. And with its consumption, the edge of her bloodlust was severed. Sure, she COULD, in theory, stop now. Let the rest live...

...But where was the fun in that?

She again snapped to upon hearing the pleading cries of another of Ray's buddies. Leaving her kill behind, Jay returned to the trashed vehicle, spotting Ray and one of the remaining few lackies running for their lives. The pitiful begs were still coming from the car. "Guys, please! I'm stuck!" he shouted, stumbling over his words as he struggled to crawl out of the car's window. Had she control over her ears, they would have twitched. Stuck, huh? Wonderful~ Along the car's belly, she stalked, movements purposely slowed to give the young man time to spot her--and panic twice as much. This one had held her left arm, previously. Fangs ever bared and saliva dripping, Jay adjusted her weight to lift her left hand. His cries escalated, transforming into a bone-rattling scream as the beast's claws were raked across the back of his head, ripping the flesh from bone. The slash removed a huge chunk of flesh, exposing the skull, underneath. Without thinking, the Lycanthrope lunged, securing widened jaws around the exposed bit of white. Fangs raked, creating an eerie sound, before finally finding purchase and sinking in. It only took a little pressure.

CRUNCH

Like a wet coconut being hammered open.

The flailing body stilled, the pathetic cries stopping. The beast withdrew, momentarily taking in the sight of the holes left behind. Two had fallen. Two remained. Her head turned in the direction they'd fled. The car protested its last as she leaped from its overturned body to give chase. The contact between her hands and paws and the ground met in rhythmic pattern. Enlarged lungs drew in breath after breath, trying to pinpoint where the remaining two had run. Both scents soon met her nostrils, leading her on. Soon, the combined scent broke off into two, trailing away from each other. They'd split up. The beast veered, tailing a scent at random. Frantic footfalls eventually met her ears. They weren't Ray's, but disappointed, Jay was not. "Save the best for last", as it was spoken. This one hadn't taken refuge in the surrounding forest, but was sticking along the cliffs around the Barrens. Through tall weeds and dead grass, the beast ran on, occasionally kicking up what snow had already fallen. The footsteps ahead of her quickened, the man to whom they belonged making a split-second decision and veering off to his right. She followed nonetheless, breathing turning to panting and brief "encouraging" growls. Eventually, the vegetation gave way to grant Jay one look at her potential next victim--before he took a literal leap of faith.

Right off the cliff. Before his feet left the earth, he'd mumbled a prayer that the calm waters down below would be deep enough and unfrozen, this time of year.

They weren't. In either case.

Jay slid to a stop, body turning in her sudden halt. Clawed fingers curled over the cliff's edge, supporting her as she bothered to peer down at the carnage. A layer of ice had broken from the impact, the body still and bleeding out. If he WERE still alive, he'd either die from the cold, from bleeding out, or from drowning, the impact surely having broken SOMETHING. The beast's breaths shot out in clouds among the chilly air, fangs sheathed for the short break. Well...so much for THAT kill. Her ears caught a sound, something faint, growing fainter by the second. Oh, of course~ The snarling resumed, anger now coursing through the werewolf's veins. Three were now dead. Where was their boss? Rapidly, Jay turned, hightailing it back the way she'd come. Enhanced senses soon picked up traces of her remaining target. He'd actually made for the trees, intent on shooting for town. A hint of a grin tugged at her lips. Was he not aware of what forests were typically home to? Into the mass of trees, she slipped, flawless in leaping off of their trunks to advance her efforts. Snow pelted the ground from the branches above, Ray's only sign that his pursuer was closing in. Would have been, anyway, if he'd given thought to look. Instead, he bolted on, meeting the night's chill head-on. Somewhere in his attempt to escape, he'd lost his sunglasses, displaying his fear for all to see.

Well, if the only spectators weren't a hunting werewolf and a shadow-prowling clown.

He didn't see Jay exactly, but he could hear her. Behind, then on his left. She was gaining, closing the distance. Without meaning to, he emitted a frightened cry upon hearing a low-toned howl cut through the air. He had to get to town--FAST. Hoping to lose the monster, he ducked through and around clustered trees, tossing himself back out in the open. From current location, he was aware that the bridge everyone referred to as "The Kissing Bridge" was just ahead. Cross that, and civilization wasn't far out of reach. Numb legs protested, but he persisted. He almost laughed to himself when the bridge finally emerged from the trees, a straight-shot to freedom, safety. Aching muscles were already easing from their tensed state, ready for a long-awaited break. His run was interrupted by the icy conditions of the ground below, he just barely able to keep himself from falling, and halted altogether--just before he could set foot on the bridge. The white-fleshed and hairy beast in Jay's hoodie and pants stood waiting on the other side, perched on all fours. While it couldn't be seen staining the black fabric of her hoodie, blood dripped down her sleeves and onto her hands, finally freezing as it met with the snow, under her. She exhaled small clouds, fierce eyes piercing them to stare him down.

He was exhausted, hopes to be out of these woods shattered. She blocked his only way into town. Well, his only DRY way; he could chance crossing the river, if he'd the strength. But who was to say she wouldn't still be waiting for him on the other side? Mentally, Ray threw in the towel. He couldn't go on. "J-Jay? C'mon now, this isn't you. Y-you wouldn't do this; you'd never hurt anybody." He was resorting to this: trying to talk down the monster. What choice did he have? "N-now look, is it an apology you're after? That all you want? Okay, I'm sorry." The beast suddenly took a few steps forward, causing him to take a step or two back--only to slip and fall on the slick ground. "No...NO! Jay!" he cried, the beast witnessing him try to get back on his feet and run, thwarting him with a running start and a pounce. A massive hand clamped its claws around his torso, hauling him into the air. He grasped at her damp sleeve to no avail. "I'm sorry!" he shouted, body too worn out to fight. "I'm so sorry, okay? I'm sorry! Please! Just...just let me go, and I'll never bother you again! I swear!" He whimpered, the Lycanthrope silently glaring at him with bared fangs. "Jay...please...you're still in there. I know you are!"

Her head tilted. Just slightly. Beastly eyes--for a moment--reverted to their human appearance.

"Yeah...yeah, there you are! C'mon, just put me down. Okay? I m-meant what I said: I'll leave ya alone. Heck, I won't even LOOK at ya, anymore. Okay? Promise. I swear! I-I'll even move outta town, set up shop somewhere else. Somewhere FAR away from here. Yeah. You won't have to see my mug, ever again!" He managed a weak smile, seeing that the beast in Jay's clothing took a moment to consider. At least, he prayed she was considering. Seconds turned into minutes, and the growling monster hadn't even so much as lowered her arm. Was she still thinking about eating him? He snuck a hand down to his pant pocket. Well, if she wasn't going to drop him on her own... His hand shot back up and swung down, burying a pocket knife in her forearm. Fanged jaws opened, lungs shooting out a pained roar as her head lowered in recoil. They snapped shut, human eyes turning beastly, once again. This time, they were FURIOUS. Ignoring the blade in her arm, Jay suddenly pulled Ray close, securing him in both hands, before parting her jaws one more time and latching them around his throat. He produced a garbled cry, a short choke. Her head ripped backward, clenched jaws tearing out his throat. Blood rushed out to coat his shirt and jeans, and added only to the dampness of Jay's hoodie. Shock and disbelief were all she could see on his face, the last expression he'd make before his quick death. He soon fell limp in her hold.

She did not eat him, no. A rotten piece of filth like him didn't even deserve a place in her digestive system, much less her stomach. She gave the cooling corpse a good look. Then, without another thought, she chucked the body off the bridge, surrendering it to the mercy of the river, below. There. The act was done, her part played. Panting quietly, she turned, reaching her other hand to pry the blade from her flesh. It, too, was dropped in the current, below. As she stood by one rail of the bridge, clawed hand gripping it to balance herself, she couldn't help but stare up at the sky. At the full moon. First time was a little...sloppy, she had to admit. Not perfect; one had escaped from her, taking his own life. Yet, even still, she thought she hadn't done too badly for her first hunt. Clearly, there WAS much she still had to learn. At least this night, she was successful in scaling the wall between being human and becoming a monster. Her pale-yellow eyes skimmed over the night sky. The moon was beautiful, that night. The only other witness to her misdeeds, that evening. Her head hung, exhaustion claiming her. She gradually fell to her knees, hand still grasping the rail. First time also took a lot out of her, her body not used to such a rapid transformation. Not yet. Her form laxed, breath still pouring out in small puffs. She felt her body reverting back to human form, wolven characteristics shriveling away. A mid-morphing hand rose to the back of her head, grasping at her fur and flesh. Like a snake shedding its skin, she tore off her wolven exterior, revealing her human self, underneath. What wolven flesh and fur fell, it shriveled and turned to ash, around her. In seconds, she was normal again. She was Jay Wolfe, again.

...And for some reason, that tidbit HURT her. Within the prior fifteen minutes or so, she'd felt as if chains that had been weighing her down all her life had finally been broken. She'd felt free, unrestrained. A strength she'd never known, before. Just a taste. But why was she only now craving the entire buffet? The cold was easily ignored, the new-blood She-Wolf at rest against the railing. Silent tears fell from her cheeks. What she felt then couldn't just end. It COULDN'T. In silence and the light of the moon, she basked, eyes shut as she focused then on recovering. "I spoke wrongly of you," spoke a familiar voice. Her head still hung, but her eyes opened, and she turned just enough to acknowledge the clown's presence. Pennywise. "...What, that I'm not some lowly little human...?" she questioned, voice rough from her vocal cords' previous use in the forms of roars. He didn't answer. She lowly snickered anyway, "Well...you're not the only one." A step towards an apology, on both their behalves. Jay stared only at the ground through frost-rimmed glasses, ears catching the sounds of the clown's boots as he approached. Blue eyes locked onto the red puffs of his shoes when he stepped into view, then flickered up to his face as he knelt in front of her. Red coated the front of his costume, remnants of blood sticking to the skin around his mouth. Jay could only assume he'd been feeding on the "leftovers" in her wake. After all, why lay waste to perfectly good meat? His previously-threatening eyes were then a light-blue. Red lips smiled, as if proud of her.

"Enjoy yourself?" he asked. "You looked like you were having such fun!"

At first, she said nothing. Had she enjoyed herself? HAD she? A curious question. No, killing people wasn't exactly her idea of "fun". But to finally back up her threats and warnings with viable fangs and claws, to see a side of fear she didn't know she could instill...

In her mind's eye, it had seemed as if the clown had humbly offered her some forbidden goblet to sip from. Rather than a sip, she'd grabbed it from his gloved hand and gulped down its contents. "Yes," she finally admitted, reaching to wipe away her tears' drying trails. It had only been a taste, but...how ADDICTIVE it turned out to be! She couldn't help but smile and cough out a few laughs upon feeling his gloved hands on either side of her face. "Now, now. Dry those tears, little blue jay. Your lessons are not over, just yet. This was only the beginning, you see. Lots to learn, oh yes~ Lots for Ol' Pennywise to teach you, that he does!" he practically beamed, mindful enough to assist in drying her tears. She hesitated. "...I dunno, Pen. Can I trust you?" Confusion replaced his joy. "Trust me? Why, do you not?" he wondered.

"You HAVE tried to eat me on a few occasions."

"Aww, water under the bridge~"

"Water under THIS bridge?" she smirked, openly laughing when he then looked down.

"Why not?" he smiled back, hands gesturing in a shrug. "After all, you've a lot to learn before I return to my long slumber."

At that, her brows furrowed. "Long slumber? What do you mean?"

But he wouldn't explain himself. Instead, he wagged an index finger. "In time, little blue jay. In time. For now, we go home, and you rest. When you're better, we'll try again, the both of us."

Go home, hm? His home or hers? Suppose she'd find out, soon enough. Perhaps these "lessons" would grant her time to find out if she could trust him or not. "Alright, but terms and conditions apply," she agreed, playfully. A snicker and giggles followed as she fought off his hands in his act to pinch her cheeks. "Hey, now. Quit it!" she grinned, successful in her task. He submitted, opting instead to take both of her hands in his own. "Just one chance is all I ask, and you'll see. We'll be the best of friends," the clown implied, oddly enough allowing enough physical contact to rest his forehead against hers. His blue eyes returned to their gold state, and the growl he emitted next made her shiver.

"Forever~"


	18. Regroup

The pack hadn't seen or heard from its Alpha in days.

Toby was caught in some hybrid mix of anger and worry, aware that she was in the possession of Derry's monster. Alive, dead, he didn't know. What was worse, nobody appeared concerned by her absence. Winnie was still recovering from her experience against her greatest fear, and Victor was clueless as to how to help. Without its "Alpha", the pack was falling apart. Toby found himself lashing out more and more often at his friends, never meaning to. They were just as helpless as he was, as none of them ever had to deal with some supernatural clown, before. None of them even knew how to combat this threat. And now, It had their group leader.

Rather than head off to fill his stomach, Toby chose instead to head for PageTurner's on his break from work. Detailing and cleaning cars had its days, both good and bad. It might not have paid as well as, say, running a dealership did, but Toby enjoyed what he did, nonetheless. Strange as it was, even HE hadn't heard anything in regards to Ray Norman. Granted, the pack had been doing well to avoid him, but...not so much as a sighting of him at the grocery store? Driving around in his newly-purchased ride? Had he finally left Derry? Doubtful. Eh, well, that sad man was far from Toby's train of thought. Right now, checking in on Jay was far more important--if she hadn't already become a snack.

'Art's Detailing' wasn't far from PageTurner's; literally two streets away. Partly the reason Toby had opted to be Jay's "bodyguard". Well, when his scheduled hours permitted him. Wasting the gas made no sense, so the white-blond chose to walk over. It gave him time to think, that way. Unfortunate that his thoughts kept drifting back to the clown, Pennywise. He'd forgotten how long ago now that circus freak had started popping up in dreams, intentions always to taunt and mock the young man. The anger it instilled kept Toby awake at night, made him lash out at those closest to him. As of late, it had been Jay of whom Pennywise threatened, ever-grinning as he invaded Toby's dreamscape to tease hints concerning what he'd planned to do to the brunette. Almost as if the clown KNEW something about Toby that the pack did not.

His secret.

Toby shook his head to rid of the clown's chanting voice. If anything happened to Jay, why, he'd--

Loose rock crunched underfoot and he lifted his gaze to find the desired bookstore on the horizon. Busy as always, Christmas drawing ever closer. The day the young man had decided on to open up and spill mentioned secret. A simple holiday card was all he'd planned on as a gift for Jay, but in it, he'd...well, he hoped he'd have a steady hand, when the time came. For now, it sat at one end of the kitchen table, waiting to be opened, yet void of words. Purposely blank and awaiting the pouring of Toby's heart. Heavens, he prayed he'd the courage when he finally had to sit himself down before it! Brisk steps brought him to PageTurner's doors, and through them, he walked. People walked about, sat at tables in the small cafe, talked. Above it all, Christmas music could faintly be heard. Green eyes were focused on the front counters. Jay's boss was there, along with four of his employees. None of them were Jay.

Patiently, Toby neared the counter, waiting in line to speak with the manager. Hands were stuffed in his jean pockets, heart hammering in his chest. Anxiety built. If the manager had seen her...maybe there was hope. The minutes passed by, the line slowly growing shorter. Until...

"Yes, Mister Lawrence. How can I be of service?" began the store's owner.

"Hey, Mr Turner. Um, I was actually wondering if Jay was in, today? She hasn't been returning my calls, lately. I just wanted to be sure she was okay," Toby explained, hands withdrawing to settle on the counter's edge. Concerned eyes peered at him through small lenses. "Why, Jay was just in, earlier this morning. Worked her shift, as usual. Insisted on wiping down the doors and windows. She did a fine job of it, too." Toby drew in a quiet gasp, "Y-you saw her? Is she alright?" Mr Turner then looked puzzled, his words hesitant. "She's fine, Toby. Her typical self when she came in. In fact, she left not too long ago. Said she was meeting with someone."

"Meeting someone?"

Mr Turner nodded with a brief hum.

"Did she say whom?"

"That, I didn't ask. It's not really my business to poke my nose where it's not wanted."

"Well, then do you know where she went?"

"I don't, I'm afraid. Somewhere within walking distance, that much I know. She hadn't parked in the lot, as she usually does."

That was because her car was still at her condo, left behind when Victor had gone to pick her up. Within walking distance, he'd said? Where else could she have gone within walking distance of PageTurner's? "Thank you, sir. I was starting to worry," Toby responded, turning in hint to leave. "Oh, she probably just had a dead battery or something. Sometimes it gets so busy around here--" Mr Turner was interrupted by one of his employees, calling for his assistance when the register wouldn't open. "I'm terribly sorry; got matters to attend to, at the moment," he admitted to Toby, whom nodded back his understanding. "Just left, huh? To go where?" Toby mumbled as he departed the store. Clear out of the way, the white-blond perched himself on the sidewalk, scanning the landscape for its local businesses. Some restaurants, a little nook-and-cranny store, the library just down the road, a pharmacy.

Brows furrowed, Toby walked on by the cars in the lot, stopping just beside the road. To his left, he turned. Down this stretch was the movie theater, an arcade, the laundromat. The arcade MIGHT be a possibility, but it wasn't likely, given recent events. Jay wouldn't go to the movies alone, but her manager DID say she was meeting someone. His hand drew his cellphone, and he made a few calls. Winnie didn't answer, and Victor's phone went straight to voicemail. Clearly, his was turned off. Probably on shift, or something. So, Toby relied on texts.

'Anybody see Jay, today?' he sent. There were no immediate answers. He'd have to wait.

As he did so, Toby let out a huff, shoving his phone back in his pocket. He could swing by the movies, see if anyone had seen the brunette. It was worth a shot. Yet, at that moment, he felt a tugging sensation. Not at his body, but at his mind. Some unidentified signal crying out, "Look! Look! Over here!" The young man gave in, turning to his right. His lungs froze. Down THIS stretch were streets leading to the residential areas. Nothing but street signs and signal lights on the corners of each intersection. Everything appeared normal, save for the standing sign on the corner closest to Toby. Unlike all the other signs Toby could see, this one differed in the fact that, tied to it from a white string, was a red balloon. A simple object, but one that instantly ignited fury within Toby.

No.

Jay couldn't have--

Did...did she...WILLINGLY go back to the clown?

Sudden beeps from his phone pulled Toby from his glaring scowl. Sounded like Winnie and Victor had finally gotten his message. His hand found it, brought it up for him to read.

'I haven't, sorry,' replied Winnie.

'Nothing since a few nights ago,' stated Victor.

Well, then there was only one candidate left...and it turned Toby's blood to lava under his skin. Both thumbs were quickly busied. 'Can you both meet with me after work? We need to talk,' he sent, eyes instantly shooting back up toward the balloon. It was still there, silently laughing at him. Two more beeps followed.

'Sure,' Winnie had sent back.

'I might be a little late, but I can come by, tonight,' replied Victor.

Late? Well, that sounded as though Victor was at work, too. It was for the best that they met at the same time. 'Okay, be by my place, tonight. Winnie, bring your book,' Toby's text instructed.

BEEP

'Will do,' Winnie had agreed. Victor hadn't responded. Toby again turned, focus shifting to the street sign. The balloon was gone. Blew away, perhaps? He grimaced, shoving his phone back in its respective pocket. He wouldn't believe that his closest friend was CHOOSING this circus fool over her own pack--her own friends. No, of course she wasn't. He'd STOLEN her. Now they had to get her back.

His break would be over, soon. For now, he pushed the thoughts of the balloon and its owner out of his mind. Whatever Pennywise had in store for Jay, Toby at least took comfort in knowing he wasn't out to harm her. She could safely wait another four hours.

Back up the street, he walked, making the turn toward Art's.

**************************************************

The wait for the others to show was PAINFUL. At least, it was in Toby's mind.

Shortly after leaving work, he'd sent them a time frame and directions to his apartment, recalling that they'd only been over once. Spending time as a group wasn't a luxury they could afford these days, what with their time all but swallowed up by work...and an apparent killer clown. It was almost laughable, when you stopped to think about it. How often could people hand in the excuse to their boss that they couldn't come into work that day because they were too busy trying to save a friend from a monster? Not an excuse the pack used. Regardless of how things played out, they couldn't risk the safety net that was their jobs. Well, Win and Vic couldn't; Toby would care less if they weren't successful in saving Jay. If she were lost, everything may as well be. He'd gladly pack up and abandon Derry. Transferring out would always be an option on the table.

There were eventual knocks on the front door, breaking his cycle of impatient pacing back and forth. Sitting still had clearly not been feasible. Winnie stood there alone, a thick book in one arm. "I'm sure you meant for me to bring THIS one," she greeted once the door was open, eyes trailing to the hard-back 'Silver Edition'. "That's the one," Toby nodded, letting her in. "How much of it have you read?" he pressed. "Nearly halfway in," she reported, setting the object on his dining table. "And I'm still not even sure which of the survivors had written it. Numerous names are thrown about, and the story itself keeps hopping between past and present. It's pure confusion at its finest," she elaborated, looking flustered. That didn't sound promising. "Well, then what do you know for certain?" Toby poked, needing her to reveal as much information as she could. The Hispanic gal sighed, looking as though she wanted to laugh. She didn't. "That we AREN'T the first ones to have to deal with Pennywise. Based on what I've read, this group of kids had fought him long before we even encountered him. There are mentions that they'd thought they'd killed him. Obviously, they did not."

"What's happened in the book, so far?"

Her lips pursed for a slight second. "It began with Georgie's death--that much is true. There WAS a kid with that name whom had died, years back. Nobody that we knew personally, but at a time, that kid's death was all over the news. Said kid had a brother, and the brother and his friends were all dragged into terrifying encounters with Pennywise, right after. Sound familiar?"

"Yeah...that's pretty much what WE'RE experiencing. Your little brother is killed, and now we're dragged into this mess."

Winnie nodded, finding a seat. "Would seem history is, ultimately, repeating itself. Nathan is 'Georgie', and we're apparently the new 'Losers' Club'."

"Win, we're not a 'club'. We're a 'Pack'. You don't just 'sign up'; you earn your place."

"Pff--I didn't mean that, literally."

The young woman was silent as Toby finally sat with her. "Was there anything to hint at Jay's fate?" he wondered, next. She shook her head, though. "Since the book was written by a survivor, not the clown, we have no way of knowing what he plans to do with her. Just about everyone in the book was haunted by Pennywise on the sole intention that he'd feast on them all. That's what he thrives on, from what I understand: fear."

"But...Jay CAN'T fear him."

"Right, 'cause she's technically a part of him. Or, rather, HAS a part of him. Enough to cancel out whatever powers he possesses."

"So, if she can't fear him, he can't eat her."

"That's the theory."

"Then WHY did he...?"

"I haven't finished reading, Toby. Give me some credit!"

He hesitated. Riling himself up again, wasn't he? That wouldn't help Winnie in the long run, and it certainly wouldn't help him if he lashed out at her again in anger. Physically, he eased in his seat. "Did it at least hint to where the clown dwells?" he asked, carefully. She shrugged, a hand opening the book to flip through the pages she'd read. "Many times, it's mentioned 'Neibolt Street'..."

His brows furrowed. "Neibolt? That abandoned street of ruins?"

"That's what it stated."

"Nobody lives out there, anymore. Most of those houses rotted away."

"I know. But the book's mentioned a few encounters with the clown, out that way. Wouldn't hurt to reconsider, would it?"

"...What house number?"

"I've read 29, and I've read 27. Could be either of those."

"That's great...and none of us have ever BEEN out near Neibolt, much less has seen what the house in question looks like. Unless that book's got a picture?"

She met his gaze with incredulous eyes. "Does this LOOK like a picture book, Toby?" She flipped through pages again, rapidly. No. It sure wasn't. But they had a street name. Their silver lining. "Are you up for some late-night exploration? We should have a look at those houses, see if any of them could be his refuge. Who knows? Maybe we'll find Jay out there," Toby suggested, eager to go. She visibly sunk in her chair, "Not really."

"But--"

"I know, I know. If we don't act, we'll lose Jay. I know. And I'll go. I just said I wasn't up for it; doesn't mean I won't do it."

Wonderful! Now they had a new destination and another step in the plan. But it wouldn't be wise to go, unarmed. They'd need weapons--just in case. What could they even find, sitting about? Toby himself kept a few sweet blades, tucked away. A collective hobby, but in extreme circumstances... Both halted at the sound of a car horn, outside. "Victor's here," Winnie then stated. Toby sent her a small smile, then stood to let the ginger inside. He would fill Vic in with the details, then...if they were ready...

They'd be off for Neibolt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow parts are insufferable...! But very much needed. Got another chapter out, in the least. We find out what the Wolfe Pack plans next. Seems we'll be visiting Neibolt in the close future.


	19. Funhouse pt 1 (Content warning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Blood and gore mentioned in the latter half of this chapter!
> 
> Song lyrics are from FNAF fan-song "Let Me Through" by CG5.

Nightfall was freezing, making two of the three wonder silently why they hadn't suggested waiting until daylight hours to venture out like this.

That would have proven fruitless. Toby was difficult to persuade, usually. Especially when one factored Jay into the mix. Important, she was. After all, without her, they had no Alpha to guide them. Protect them. Still...with it being late December in Derry, and probably running on midnight, did they HAVE to wander out in the darkness and snow? Neither Victor or Winnie protested, deciding it best to let Toby determine what their next move would be. In terms of "pack rating", he was technically considered the Beta, the next in command. Winnie was no warrior, having been given the duty of looking after her brother, the pack's "pup", and therefore was named their Omega. She remained so, even after Nathan's death. Victor hadn't said which rank he'd take, and so thought of himself as the "pack ally". Even while rank-less, he was still accepted as part of the Wolfe Pack.

The sky was dark, barely lit by the moon, above. Under their snow boots, the white slush crunched. A light breeze carried flakes of snow, practically throwing it all in the trio's covered faces. Scarves were pulled up over their noses and mouths, Winnie's beanie yanked as far down on her head as she could get it. She walked behind Toby, Victor behind her. The ginger sniffled often, rapidly blinking his eyes clear of tears. It was far too cold for this nonsense. Best not to tell Toby that, however. "Couldn't we just take one of the cars? Would get us there, faster," Victor griped. 'And we'd at least be in a source of heat until we got there,' he thought. "And park where we'd be seen? I wouldn't risk it," Toby rejected, face slightly red as he trudged onward. "What, you wouldn't even give us a few precious moments to warm up? It's cold, out here!" the ginger argued, tucking gloved hands under both arms. On the back of his coat, a metal bat was strapped. His weapon of choice. Effective, light-weight...but did little to aid in keeping him warm. Rather, it felt like a solid chunk of ice on his back.

At Winnie's belt was a personal taser. Something she could easily carry and use without it proving lethal. As she often reminded the boys, she wasn't the violent type. Instead, she chose to play on the defensive. Quick on her feet, she thought it best to bear the taser. Press its prongs up against a living thing's flesh, and mash the button. Any threat would be on the floor in seconds. Unfortunate that it was a one-time-use only. She'd have to make it count, if it came down to using it. Her mittened hands were stuck in her coat pockets.

"I know you'd prefer to wait until daytime, but now's the best chance we've got. It's dark, nobody can see us, and since it's cold out, there shouldn't be anyone feeling nosy out on the streets," Toby spoke, a briefly-lowered arm bumping its elbow against the hilt of the dagger tied to his waist. An old favorite of his, something he'd kept sharpened while out in the woods. His defense when the "bear" threats had been declared. Sure..."bear". The group was lightly armed, guided only by Toby's pocket flashlight in the December night. "Oh, sure. 'Cause three peeps out on a snowy evening with a bat and a flashlight isn't suspicious enough," Victor grumbled at the back of the line. "Hey, you could have chosen to stay back, if you wanted. YOU opted to come with," Toby reminded him, pausing at another sign post. "Alright, which way?"

The redhead sighed his defeat, "We're taking a left."

The trio began moving again, Victor mumbling something only Winnie heard--and laughed at. "Guys, don't attract attention!" Toby hissed, eyes fixed on the sidewalk, ahead. They silenced, not wanting to trigger Toby and set off another unnecessary outburst. He'd done that often. Instead, he led, he asked where to go, and they followed. In time, the trio found the one street no longer illuminated by street lights. Once a residential street, perhaps in a past life. Nowadays? Derry's personal ruins. According to Winnie's book, this street was occupied, save for one particular house. "Unseen", as most people had put it. At least, those that could SEE the house. Yet, since then, others had up and abandoned their homes, strangely unable to make a profit in reselling them. Almost like a plague, these homes gradually aged and rotted away, house after house falling in line until the entire street of Neibolt looked like some nightmare from a horror movie. Toby let his flashlight's beam rise to reveal Neibolt's sign, then fell to shine across the homes they walked by.

Broken windows, faded paint, rotting foundations, yards so overgrown with weeds, one would swear a tiger would come prowling out at any moment. They all looked the same: as disappointing and shameful at night as they did during the day. An eye-sore. Maybe that was why they'd shut off the power to this section of town? If that were the case, why didn't they just bulldoze the street and call it a day? It made better sense than to sit by and let a road of ten or more houses rot in the hands of Time. Most of these houses no longer bore their respective numbers, making them hard to identify. "...So..." Toby began, shifting his light between houses. "So?" Victor prompted. "Any idea which one it is?" the white-blond asked. Behind him, the ginger groaned, "Seriously?! You drag us all the way out here in sub-zero temperatures, and YOU don't even know which house we're looking for?" Well...no. Suppose he hadn't thought that far ahead. Honestly, Toby hadn't expected ALL of the houses to look so...deserted. "The book only mentioned ONE rotting house, didn't it?" he countered, Winnie quietly wandering ahead with the aid of her phone's built-in light. "How should I know? I didn't read the thing!" Victor argued, just wishing he were home--and out of this cold!

Toby paid him no mind, rather focused on whatever Winnie was doing. He followed her with his light for as long as he could, until she was barely visible. She'd gone far, standing along the right-hand side of the street. She'd read the book; maybe she knew which one they were looking for? "Win?" he called. She didn't call back. Instead, the lighted screen of her phone was waved frantically, back and forth. He and Victor hurried to her side. "Think this might be the house?" she rhetorically questioned, the sidewalk leading up to a large, imposing metal fence, the gate chained and locked. A few of the other houses had this same fencing, the tips lined with barbs. However, this particular house was also sporting what was left of once-yellow caution tape, the fence bearing a number of 'No Trespassing' signs. The yard beyond it had been taken over by nature, long grass masking most of the pathway up to the porch. Windows were boarded up, the front door also sporting a heavy-duty lock. Attempts to keep people out? Or to keep something in? There was no address number to speak of.

"If our suspicions are correct," Toby shrugged, shining his light over what he could of the house.

"Great. And how do you plan for us to get in? 'Cause I certainly don't feel like getting skewered, today," Victor muttered, gesturing up at the barbed fence.

"We make a way in," Toby stated plainly, working his way along the fence for a weakened post. The ginger motioned to complain, shutting his mouth and following the others in their unintentional act of leaving him behind. A few posts were eventually located and ripped loose, letting the trio pass through to step in the soggy, partly-covered jungle on the other side. Oddly enough, most of the snow here had already melted, beginning to freeze up once more as the night grew colder. "Alright. The first barrier is crossed. Now what?" Victor continued, having briefly fought to free his snagged bat. Toby motioned his light over the yard, confirming the safest path up to the porch. Certainly, nobody was in the mood to accidentally step on a hidden snake, or something. Jagged broken glass, perhaps? Just...no trips to hospital, in general. He led them on, and they trailed after. The silent one, Winnie observed their surroundings as they neared the house. The upgraded fence had been a recent addition, over the years. Too many kids had grown curious, wanting to know if what Derry folk said about this house was true. Too many kids were later only seen again on Missing posters. Again, why didn't they just tear the old houses down? Were they afraid of triggering the wrath of some unrelenting curse? Did they really believe a monster lived here, and would only be satiated if they left it to dwell in this house?

She noted the evidence of someone or something having dug way under the porch--several times. Homeless folk? Animals? Some of those marks in the earth were old. Few were new. They almost looked large enough for the three of them to crawl under. Yet, who knew what horrors they'd find, under there? A body? Winnie cringed. Best to leave that to the imagination, she supposed. She peered back through her glasses as Toby carefully ascended the steps. They were soaked with melted snow, rotten from the passing of time and lack of proper care. With the door locked, the young man's first act was to check the nearest accessible windows. Most were boarded up, but MAYBE...if the condition of the porch was anything to go by--

He'd only so much as put a hand against a board to pry it off, when the locked front door somehow, suddenly, blew open inward, as if some unseen force had kicked it in. The explosive sound it made caused Winnie to jump, letting out a frightened wail. Victor had caught his breath, dispensing it in a huff. Instantly, all three felt as though they were being watched. "Looks like they were expecting us," mumbled Toby, whom cautiously flashed his light inside the open door. From what little they could see, the house was empty. And deteriorating. The flooring was torn up, wallpaper peeling, the ceiling cracked in some places. There were no lights. At least, not here. The group's current leader gave the other two a confirming look, Winnie reaching for her taser, Victor taking his bat from off his back. Toby's own hand settled on the blade at his side. The door remained opened as they entered, the house rather soundless. What pictures were still hanging on the walls were coated with whatever grime Time had decided to toss upon them. The air smelled horrible, damp and slightly moldy. Clearly, this was no place to keep a living person, much less Jay. That ever-present sensation of being watched never eased as the three friends wandered the adjacent rooms, each as ruined as the last. The place severely lacked furniture, dying plant-life having invaded to scatter over every floor and up every wall. Thankfully, there were no bodies in any of the rooms to speak of.

The quiet was deafening. So much so, their eardrums were nearly shattered when Toby decided right then to try calling out for Jay. "Geez! You want to give us all heart attacks?!" Victor hissed, nearly dropping his weapon. "Sorry," Toby returned, startled himself at how loud he'd sounded. Luckily, there weren't any repercussions with the unintended outburst. Not yet. The kitchen was clear. So where the living space and the walkway to the cellar. Other rooms--empty and undisclosed of previous function--held no signs of their missing "Alpha". The ground floor was cleared. There WERE stairs to the upper floors, but...as the trio judged by visuals alone, they weren't in any shape to be climbed. Someone could fall through. "You sure we picked the right house?" Victor asked, looking between the other two. Winnie held a puzzled frown, aiming her uncertainty toward Toby. "We could check the other houses, just to be s--" Toby began, cutting himself off upon hearing a sound. Sound? No...a voice. How familiar...! Was it singing? He neared the stairs, trying to tune his ears to this new sound. When one of the other two tried to speak, he hushed them. Gradually, he made out words.

"...to me with open arms..."

A young woman's voice. And she was, in fact, singing.

"...here's so much we need to explore..."

He began to ascend the stairs, which creaked under his weight, and halted his progress. He had to be sure, though! Again, he listened, turning his light to the floor, above.

"I...mean...no...harm. I sing my song all night long, just for you. Please oh please, I'm on my knees. Let me--"

"Jay?" Toby called out again, interrupting the remainder of the song. He didn't know she could sing. Did ANY of them know? And since when had she even started? They'd only ever heard her hum when a song played. None of them commented, but...she didn't sound half bad. Not bad, at all. Faintly, they heard a door creak open. There were footsteps. Quick in their pace. There was movement from above.

"Toby? W-what...what are you guys doing here?!"

He turned the light to find her. She was in a maroon hoodie and black jeans. Unlike what Winnie had described before, the brunette looked...normal. Relief flooded into him. "Jay! Thank you, God--you're okay!" Toby smiled. Victor ignored the white-blond's remark and answered Jay's question, "We're here to save your hide. Uh, IF you need saving, I mean." Jay's eyes had narrowed in the bright light, but the look of pain they held was obvious, enough. "Save me?" she spoke, then let out a breath. "You can't." Her hands left the railing above, her body stepping back into the darkness. Immediately, Toby shot up the stairs after her, throwing caution to the wind--and the light across the walls in some hectic pattern. He heard Victor and Winnie call after him, but didn't catch what they'd said. Several times, the steps under his shoes gave way, but he pushed on, refusing to let the risk of plummeting through stop him. He wasn't planning to leave Jay in this trash-heap of a house. Their primary source of light gone, Winnie and Victor both drew their phones, casting their digital light on the stairs. Victor called again to beckon Toby back, but to no avail. With a groan, he carefully tried to ascend the steps, slow in the placement of his feet. Making progress wouldn't be a swift task.

In waiting for the ginger to tell her which steps were safe to tread on, Winnie hesitated, another familiar voice filling her right ear. She gasped upon recognizing it call for her. Her phone was turned, illuminating the form of a young boy. Dark-haired, half of his face bandaged over with gauze. His clothes were dirty, hands even more so. Granting her precious seconds to identify him, he turned and bolted into a room behind him. "Nathan!" Winnie called, rational thoughts switched off as she automatically ran after her brother. Victor had only climbed four steps, when Winnie's voice startled him, and he turned around. He caught a flash of her disappearing through the void to another room. "Win!" He rapidly hurried down the stairs. "Win, wait! That's not Nathan! It's a trick!" Across the threshold, he ran--and abruptly stopped. This room, previously empty, had changed. There was some furniture, although incredibly soiled and ruined. Winnie and "Nathan" weren't to be seen. Alongside that, a door that hadn't been at his back a moment ago was suddenly there--and slammed shut behind him. The scare turned him around, his light on this new "development". Had there always been a door there, and they just hadn't seen it? To free a hand, Victor chose to drop his bat, attempting to force the door open.

Then...another sound. But this one was perplexing. A short jingle, like a shop door opening, a bell above to signal the arrival of another new customer. His brows furrowed. Victor turned again slowly, his phone revealing the horror that awaited him. Blood trailed across the floor, leading up to plush chairs and tables--littered with various body parts. Vein-riddled eyes and chopped fingers displayed on blood-coated platters, skinned arms--meaty and bleeding--set on trays in the center of an otherwise bare table. Organs had been thrown about the remaining sofa, the fabric drenched with red. The scents that struck him were instant--and nauseating! Smelled like a dead pig had been left at room temperature to rot. He dared to look on, swallowing dryly, and shook with dread when he found the source. Bodies. Several of them. Some armless, others legless. A few were gutted, either long-dead or freshly slaughtered, harvested. Horrible crunching filled his ears. A shaking arm lifted his phone. He wasn't alone.

The beast whom killed these innocent souls, guised as a ginger-haired clown in a light-silver costume, sat atop a pile of carved corpses, teeth buried in the ripping flesh of a severed arm. Most of the hand was exposed bone, the skin and muscle gone. Blood occasionally dripped as the clown feasted. When the light revealed him, though, Pennywise ceased his eating, proceeding to give Victor an innocent blue-eyed smile. "You hungry, Frankie?" His unoccupied arm rose, his other gloved hand offering up ropes of freshly-torn intestines. Varying in color, depending on how long ago they'd been harvested. They oozed and seeped with...who knew what.

Victor swallowed again, feeling himself paling. His stomach churned. He felt ill.

Breathing grew restrained, and he felt his mouth open.

He screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one took a while; you don't even have to ask.
> 
> My department manager took vacation, and someone had to fill in for him. Guess who they picked. @.@
> 
> Rather than have you guys wait too much longer, I decided to split up the chapter into two parts again, and post the second half when I get a moment's chance. If ya haven't guessed, Victor's a Hemophobe, afraid of blood and gore. Hence the "goodies" Pennywise had left him in the trunk of his car, and here in the Neibolt house as an impromptu dinner party. Things have just gotten gross...
> 
> Part 2 will reveal what Winnie and Toby are having to endure.


	20. Funhouse pt 2 (Content warning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Sensitive/mildly disturbing context in the following chapter. (Slight gore mentioned.)

A muffled scream from below snared Toby's legs, halting his pursuit of Jay. While his light remained on the hallway stretched before him, he couldn't resist a glance back. Was that Victor? Were he and Winnie okay?! He scowled, cursing himself out in his head. What was he thinking, just leaving the pair downstairs like that? In a house that contained their greatest threat, of all places?! He was torn, half of him wanting to go after Jay, the other half wanting to go back and check on his friends. He'd turned on the spot, unaware of such movement. That is, until he caught himself backtracking toward the staircase. Toby forced himself to stop, turn back in Jay's last known direction.

"Save me?" he remembered her questioning. "You can't," she'd stated. Can't? Did she really believe she was beyond saving? What had Pennywise done to her? Jay would know; she had the answers. Right now, the Pack needed them. "Hang in there, Vic," he muttered, rocketing himself back through the hallway. All of the doors on this floor were closed, bearing no hint that Jay had passed through any of them. He quieted his panting, trying to listen for her. The other set of footsteps were gone. All he could do was try calling for her again.

"Jay! Come back, please! We'll get you out of here, and leave together!"

Nothing. She didn't reappear. She didn't call back.

"Do you seriously think we can't save you from the likes of that monster? Why would you even say that? We stand as a Pack, don't we?"

Another corner was rounded, the house somehow seeming as though it were ever-changing. The hallway spat him out on the railed landing of an alternate floor, several stories up. An illusion, Toby learned, as the house itself wasn't truly THIS enormous. Still, this was a difficult illusion to look through, since even looking down over the railing made him feel dizzy, certain that he'd take a tumble to his awaited death. And yet, he wanted to step closer--Jay stood on the other side of the landing.

"At this point, Lawrence...do we?" the brunette wondered, staring him down.

What sort of question was that? Of COURSE they did! "Jay, c'mon. End this little game. Win and Vic are downstairs, probably standing vulnerable. They need our help!" Toby insisted, despising how slowly he felt he was moving as he tried to hurry around the landing. Jay wasn't moving, herself. Instead, she let her head track him. "You don't get it, Lawrence. I AM helping you," she clarified, a door opening somewhere behind her. She turned, her glasses reflecting his light, and walked out of view, disappearing through said door. Toby's slow advance turned into a sprint as he attempted to catch her, only succeeding in running into the door as it shut on him. Anger swept through him, causing him to drop his flashlight and grip the door knob with both hands. "By throwing your lot in with THAT monstrosity?! You're not helping ANYONE, Jay! I don't care what anyone says, I--!!" Toby's voice caught in his clenched throat, the words skidding to a stop behind closed lips.

"I won't let that clown have you," was what he was about to let slip.

He didn't.

...He should have.

************************************************

How many floors down had they gone? The house itself hadn't seemed so large from the exterior. Yet...Winnie felt as though she'd descended quite the number of stairs. A rather curious number of stairs. Was this place finally getting to her? Was she slowly going mad, losing her mind? Why was she even down here, again?

Oh, of course. Nathan was here, wasn't he?

"Nate! Where are you?!" she shouted, feeling turned around in these endless dark halls. The air down here had grown damp, just as it would after a particularly heavy rain on the surface. She couldn't see clearly, but the walls around her were overgrown with moss, the floor above her trickling with water. Every step she took resulted in a muted squish. As if the wood underfoot had grown soft. And wet. "Nate?" she tried once more, brown eyes scanning what she could see through gold-framed lenses. For a while, there were no sounds but the occasional patter of water droplets on wood.

At last, she heard him. Nathan was calling for her.

"I'm coming! Hang on!" she cried back, following his distressed sounds into a rather spacious room. It looked like a storage unit, or a chamber below the deck of a ship. It was also dark, save for a little lighting revealing a cowering Nathan in the far corner. "Nate, it's okay! I'm right here!" Winnie smiled, eyes stinging with tears as she quickly entered the room. She never expected her first steps inside to drop her in deep water--literally. Her feet didn't touch the bottom as she sank in, cold water easily reaching above her head. It almost stole her breath, her body frantic in attempt to find the nearest floating object and haul herself out of the liquid chill's grasp. She wasn't sure on what she was perched, be it a table or what was left of a broken door. Either way, she fired her gaze back to her little brother. "I'm okay! I'm fine! J-just...come on, now," her shaking voice spoke to Nathan.

"I'm scared, Win..." Nathan mumbled, visibly shivering.

"I know; me, too. Look, just swim your way to me, and we'll get out of here. Together. Okay?"

He sniffled, choking on a sob. "It was so dark, Win...! I called out for you, screamed for Mom and Dad. Nobody ever answered! I tried to dig out; there was so much dirt...I was so tired...!" He coughed. "I couldn't find my way; night was too dark. S-so I hid in here, a-and...I was so lost, I couldn't get back out!"

Winnie hated how his words squeezed at her heart, practically crushing it. He'd been ALIVE? And they'd BURIED him? "I'm sorry, Nate. I really am. It's gonna be okay, now. We're going to get out of here, I promise!" She reached out to him. "C'mon, swim to me!" All at once, his shivering ceased. Slowly, his head rose, his only visible eye locked on her from the unwrapped side of his face. Sadness hadn't left his expression. Again, she urged him to her, and he finally stood, feet nearing the edge of his platform. He peered down at the water, then back to her. And he smiled. No--grinned. And something about that grin just...wasn't right. Wasn't normal. Not of Nathan. Blood trickled from his mouth as he chuckled. Then, in he jumped. But...where Winnie expected to see her brother swimming toward her, she saw something else, entirely. A shimmering figure of ghostly-white, maneuvering with a speed and grace she'd only seen from one particular aquatic beast. This one in question was GIANT.

What was worse, she heard the walls groan, water beginning to pour in through cracks. Reminiscent of what happened in Victor's kitchen.

Except this time, Jay was not there to save her.

The telltale fin broke the water's surface, and Winnie panicked.

*************************************************

Victor could not hear Winnie's distressed screams. He was far too caught up in a dilemma of his own.

He'd been successful in fleeing the room in which Pennywise had stationed himself, and he'd also been successful in recovering his bat. In exchange, unfortunately, he'd lost his cellphone, running through the halls almost blindly. Around him, the walls had begun to leak with blood, the air filled with the faint beating of a heart. As if the house itself was alive. In fact, he could have sworn he'd seen unused power cables turn to veins, portraits to eyes, the halls through which he ran expanding and shrinking as if with breath. Victor felt sick, not wanting his legs to stop so that he could see the nauseating alterations around him. Instead, he kept running, urged on by the clown's amused laughter at his back.

Wooden boards, once sturdy, gradually softened under the ginger's shoes. Transforming. Assuming a more...cushioning quality. Victor swallowed, daring to pause near the stairs where he last saw his friends to look down. His free hand flew to his mouth. The boards of the house's floor had gone organic, red and squishy. Organs. Intestines. Pulsing and quivering just below the ginger-haired man. He couldn't help but emit a disturbed cry as he pressed on, disgusted by the slurping sounds he and his bat made with every impact. A few times, Victor found himself gagging, especially when he sank up to his knees in warmth and blood. "Mother Mary--just get me out of here!" he grumbled, struggling to free himself and scramble for the front door.

A task he nearly saw to completion...until he slipped on something wet and unidentifiable. He managed to catch himself, but froze as he heard dragging footsteps following from behind. He dared to look, and his eyes widened.

Something undead stalked after him, flesh rotting, stomach sliced open and guts spewing from within. Despite the whimpers pouring from his lips, Victor lifted and readied his weapon, the bat dripping with what blood had collected on it. He stood his ground, letting this decayed humanoid stumble closer. Closer. It reached for him, and he swung. The metal object connected with the zombie's head, knocking it clean off. The headless corpse fell back, giving Victor a chance to lunge for the door. Cold air greeted him as he fled down the porch steps, never once stopping his bolting run. The gate ahead of him even swung open somehow, permitting him passage. Grateful for this he was...for a split second. As soon as he passed through the gate, he slid on a patch of ice, landing on his stomach against the asphalt. His bat clattered out of reach, briefly forgotten as its owner forced himself on his hands and knees in time to keep from soiling himself, his stomach choosing that exact moment to empty itself.

************************************************

Tears gushed from her eyes as she tried to stay focused. The white menace swam calmly by, taunting her. The room was filling with water, rather quickly. Perhaps another ten minutes were all she had left? Then this monstrous thing would waste no time in making a meal of her. If she were going to survive, she'd need to act NOW--with or without her pack mates. The shark passed by again, causing Winnie to shove herself as far up against the wall as she could, given the circumstances. It was biding its time, waiting. Fighting to control her breathing, Winnie desperately searched the room for her exit. Since her entry, it had grown a little lighter, but not by much. At least enough for her to catch the dreaded sights of the white beast swimming back and forth.

'White Shark'. Just as Nathan had named his toy gun.

Her head turned back toward the door. It was closed, but...the water had not yet blocked it off. If she thought quickly on her feet, perhaps she'd make it out, yet. One hand had closed around the taser she still carried, her other hand empty, as the object it once held was now below the water--helping to illuminate her path to the door. She had one chance. Now or never.

Her grip on the taser tightened. She jumped.

The beast swam back around, maintaining its slow speed so as to build the fear in the young woman. Hurriedly, she swam, often shooting a look over her shoulder to determine how close the man-eater was. Tiring limbs kicked and splashed, chilled by the water despite the layers of winter garb she'd dressed in. Breaths were drawn in gasps. She kicked, splashed, and glanced back. It was just seconds away from taking a bite. Her back met the door, her vision filled with parted jaws and bloodied teeth. With another scream, she shoved the taser against the beast's skin and pressed the button.

Its jaws instantly shut, having failed to seize even a bite of flesh. Its body convulsed, almost thrashing in the water surrounding them. Persistently, Winnie held the button down, using up what power the small device had, until the white-fleshed threat before her finally sank below the surface. Panic still held a grip over her rational thoughts, and Winnie ended up dropping her taser in favor of ripping open the door, throwing herself and a flood of water into the hall back toward the stairs. Thankful to find ground underfoot again, Winnie ran for it, convinced every step upward was taking her further and further away from the shark she'd left behind. What once felt like a never-ending stairway brought her back up to ground floor by a few flights. Her boots squished with remaining droplets as she made a mad dash for the house's front door. She wanted out. NOW.

"Don't wanna go swimming with me anymore, Win?" Nathan's voice asked from somewhere in the hall, behind her.

Winnie only let out a sob, bracing herself as she collided with the door, effectively throwing it open. Like Victor, she never stopped running, emitting a scream when hands caught her by her arms.

"Whoa, hey! It's alright! It's me," Victor addressed, having seen her in distress just as he'd gotten over his own.

The dark-haired female said nothing, instead burying her face in the ginger's chest.

********************************************************

Several attempts to barge through the door finally paid off. With a final shove, Toby caught himself from falling as the door swung in. What was revealed was a room far unlike any of the others Toby had seen in this very house. Firstly, it had windows. Actual, uncovered, intact windows. Two of them, probably six feet in height. Secondly, this room was furnished, containing a couple sofas, a table, a desk with its own chair, even a fireplace. Curtains had been pulled back from the windows, tied with gold lace. A room from some rich person's house, Toby could only imagine. As if HE'D ever been in a rich person's home.

With some level of caution, Toby wandered in, relentless in looking for Jay.

"What good do you think will come out of siding with HIM, anyway?" he asked, sparing another glance around the room. She wasn't to be found, but...given the state of THIS room, this all had to be by request on her end. No way would she stay in some deteriorating spit of a residence! The room wasn't well-lit, even with the roaring fireplace along one wall. Toby hadn't gone back for his flashlight, not even aware that the door had shut after him. Rather, he wandered on, stepping around the furniture with the hope that he'd catch sight of Jay hiding somewhere.

"You're still breathing, aren't you?"

He jumped at the suddenness of her voice. She'd asked him a question, hadn't she? "W-well, obviously," he replied. He needed her to speak, lead him to her. "What's that got to do with anything, though?"

She'd paused. "...You've been having dreams about him, haven't you?"

"N-not ABOUT him, exactly," Toby was quick to clarify, aware she was talking about the clown. "It's more like...he's been invading my dreams. But--"

"Have you both been communicating? Has he spoken to you? WITH you?"

"...Uh...well, yes. I keep telling him to shove it, though. He speaks nonsense."

How did she know about those dream encounters? Did the clown tell her? ...No; HE'D told her before, hadn't he? Back at the diner, of all places. He shivered at her low giggle. "Nonsense, hm? What's he been telling you, Lawrence?" she wondered, still remaining unseen.

THAT, he never wanted to tell her. All the disgusting, stomach-tossing things Pennywise had said he was going to do with Jay in those dreams...! "I can't say," was Toby's excuse, in the end.

"Why not?"

"...They're my reasoning behind why we need to be rid of him. That's all you need to know, Jay." He stood by one of the sofas. "Where are you?"

Another long pause.

"...Didn't Winnie say something about you not wanting to see me?" Jay asked in turn. That puzzled him. Why wouldn't he want to--oh. Winnie HAD mentioned Jay was different, now. Just HOW different, though, never was. He probably should have bothered to inquire. "Nevermind what Winnie said. We're here now to rescue you. Look, I really don't want to admit this to you, but we're all falling apart out there without you. We're all afraid the clown's--" Toby began again, stepping closer to her hiding place. "Screwing with me?" Jay finished, abruptly. When he didn't comment, she continued. "Manipulating me? Controlling me? Forcing my hand?" Another pause. "Would you believe me if I told you that's not true?"

"What...?"

"It's not. Not entirely. It's more like...hm...a compromise. Reluctant, by the way."

"...What sort of 'compromise'?"

"...You guys all get to live, so long as I sacrifice my alliance."

"Jay--"

"I switch sides, he'll leave you all alone. No more haunting, no more stalking, hunting. My pack will be safe."

"So long as you partner up with HIM, you mean," Toby nearly growled. An ACTUAL growl responded. It turned his glare to worry in an instant. That was far too beastly to be human.

"Don't you get it, Toby? I'm not asking you guys to save me. I'm siding with him to save YOU. So long as I play nice, do as he wishes, none of you will have to worry about him. He's done enough to Winnie, in taking her brother from her..."

Suddenly, what he'd been told in those dreams was then beginning to frighten him. They might actually become REALITY. He hoped she couldn't see it, but he was sensing himself beginning to shake. "You can't be peachy-keen with this, Jay. I know you," he spoke, having tracked her voice to a darkened corner of the room. One window allowed moonlight in, a large chair the only object here she could stash herself behind. "...You're not wrong, but what else can I do? We're connected, he and I," she muttered. Pale-yellow eyes were suddenly targeting him, forcing him a few steps back. "If I don't convince you to step down, he might have me make you." Something in the shape of Jay emerged from the darkness and entered the moonlight, but...its arms and legs were elongated, covered with fur. Long fingers bore claws. Toby could also make out the wolven characteristics of her face. Winnie may have been right; what was he even looking at, right then? It looked like Jay, but...wasn't. Nor was this the clown disguised as her. Toby could sense that.

"Do you want me to make you step down, Lawrence?" Hybrid Jay seemed worried. Possibly concerned, hesitant. "You probably won't get this chance to vacate the house, a second time. And to be honest, I don't WANT to have to make you go. I'd rather you guys left on your own--if Penn hasn't already forced them out."

He wanted to leave. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to leave with everyone. He didn't want to leave without Jay. Not after what he'd been told, what plans were for her. She'd only be a tool, a toy for the clown to play with. And so long as he had her, Derry was screwed. The hybrid continued to near him, and he continued to step back. Darkness soon swallowed Jay, her eyes all that Toby could see.

"I can't leave without you. I'm..." Toby swallowed, finding his own words bitter. "I'm scared to find out what'll happen to you if I choose to leave you behind."

'You would never leave us behind. Why would you ask that much of us?' he wondered to himself.

The growling resumed, this time sounding more threatening. Toby didn't realize it, but Jay could sense when her new "ally" would make his appearance. She needed Toby to leave--ASAP.

"...You're going to have me make you go, aren't you?" she asked him. Despite his fear, Toby managed a smirk. "Guess I am. Unless you're going with?" he replied. He knew in the back of his mind that he would regret this. He just didn't expect what happened next.

"Suit yourself."

The split-second after her words, something large and monstrous lunged at him from the darkness, this new wolven beast possessing Jay's eyes. The She-Wolf Jay had always claimed herself to be, now in all of its flesh-and-fur glory. She lurked forward on all fours, backing the white-blond into the far wall. Wait--not a wall. Another door. 'This is Jay', he thought to himself. A thought he kept repeating. Jay wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't hurt him. Yet, even while knowing that...

In the moon's light, Lycan Jay stood up-right, claws spread, and audibly drew in a breath to expel it in a roar.

He couldn't help but turn tail and run. The fear was too great, and for a moment, his mind lost control of his body. In a panicked flee, Toby reached for that door's handle and turned it, quick to bolt through. At least, he would have been, if the door in question DIDN'T lead out of the house, a few floors up. Shocked, Toby managed to catch himself and stop his impending fall. He turned, expecting to face the newly-transformed Jay. She was gone. In her place was a character far less welcoming. He met first with bright-red puffs on a silver clown suit, a white frilled collar leading up to the clown's less-than-friendly grin. A gloved hand rose in friendly gesture. "Shall I see you out?" Pennywise mocked, not even waiting for Toby's response before he used a single finger to push the pack's Beta right out this false door. Although he scrambled to grip the door's frame, Toby couldn't find purchase, this time failing to stop himself from falling to the ground, below.

Plastic bags and other garbage broke his fall, a startled cat bolting out and around the side of the house. The air temporarily knocked from his lungs, Toby struggled to find the door through which he'd fallen. He half-expected to see the clown mockingly peering down at him.

There was no clown. The door was never there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wolfe Pack attempts to rescue their Alpha, coming face to face with their greatest fears, and struggles to overcome them.
> 
> They don't.
> 
> This update took me a little longer than planned, partly due to a "double-whammy". Not only working through the busy traffic for Valentine's Day, but also having to hear how everyone else had plans for "Singles' Awareness Day", where I did not. (Hard to make plans for a couple when you're single.) Just what I needed: another reminder that I still don't have a monster to call my own. (Nobody wants to play with the She-Wolf, these days...)
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone else had a better Valentine's. Certainly put added stress on my shoulders, when I should have been working on this chapter. DX


	21. Drawing the Line

Something wet trickled down his back, likely residue from his impact upon the pile of garbage, as Toby slowly got back on his feet. Plastic bags, wet from previously-melting snow, shined in what moonlight there was. A horrid stench bombarded his nose. It smelled like death, decay. Toby fought to hold it together, steps wobbling as he emerged from behind the Neibolt house. First instinct was to go right back inside, and up the soggy front stairs, he stumbled. It was of no surprise that the door was shut and locked. Pennywise would see to no other guests, that night.

Back aching from his unplanned departure of the house, Toby grimaced, having no other option than to do as the others had: tuck the metaphorical tail and get out of there. Reluctantly, he did just that, avoiding taking a tumble down the steps in his leaving of the porch. In the far corners of his mind, he could hear the clown's ridiculing laughter. A victory, in that monster's case. A loss, in the Pack's. Toby tried to ignore the mockery. Upon crossing the threshold between the gates and the house's yard, the young man felt--and heard--the heavy metal gate slam shut, chains snaking all throughout the gateway doors and fence. None would be getting back in.

"Toby."

He turned, finding his remaining friends, unharmed. In one of Victor's arms, Winnie shivered, struggling to stay warm. Victor looked as though he'd enough of these shenanigans. "So? Is she coming?" he asked, aware of the response. Toby failed to provide it. No; Jay wasn't coming. She'd chosen whom to side with. At least, Toby assumed she did. It may have been one of Pennywise's mind tricks. Jay wasn't TRULY a monster. Heck--perhaps she was tied up in the beast's basement, or something? 'Something'? Like what?

'Eaten' was the only other option.

"Then what the heck did we accomplish, tonight? Huh?!" Victor griped, mentally and physically exhausted.

"Vic--" Toby tried to halt him.

"No, don't 'Vic' me! I'm done, Toby! Mentally, physically. We walked in that house, you ditched the both of us, and that THING in there tried to feed me human organs!"

"Jay's still--"

"And Winnie?! She faced a drowning hazard not once, but TWICE! Look at her, Toby. Does she look fit to endure any more of this insanity?!"

For once, Toby finally looked to Winnie. REALLY looked at her. Victor had a point; the Hispanic woman wasn't looking well. Out of all the pack's members, she wasn't likely to recover from this. ANY of this.

"...I know. I'm sorry, guys. Honest. I shouldn't have left you both on your own, not when we're already so broken. But..." Toby steeled himself. "I can't leave Jay in there. Derry will pay for it if we don't rescue her, not just the three of us," Toby attempted, praying he could still convince them, otherwise.

Victor almost sneered. "Then YOU feel free to go back in. The clown knows us better even than our worst enemies do. Even the most persistent school bully didn't know as much about our greatest fears that the clown does. We're not ready, Toby!"

The white-blond didn't believe that. "The three of us can handle whatever he throws at us. If we just--"

"We're. NOT. Ready," Victor stated, clearly. It was obvious to him that the pack Beta was starting to lose it without the Alpha to keep him in check. Actually...without the Pack's Alpha, they were ALL losing it. Their protector was gone, stolen away. And whatever the clown had in store for her, only Toby among them all knew. Why was it he was so afraid to tell them what he knew? "I don't know about you, but I for one am NOT up for upchucking my last meal for a third time. I've not slept well, I'm sick in the stomach, and just flat-out tired."

Now Toby was getting angry. "So you're just okay with leaving our friend behind? Jay's still IN there--"

"And the clown's not done anything to her, nor is he going to. If he WERE going to, wouldn't she already be gone? We all saw her in there, just now."

"It could have been a trick. Maybe he's fooling with us."

"And for tonight, we can throw in the towel and let him claim victory, this battle. Jay's not in harm's way; we know that much for certain," Victor argued, really just wanting to go home and fall back in bed. It was just a shame Toby couldn't let this night go.

"We can't leave her behind with that monster--!"

"And why not?! What's he done to endanger her? Because based on what I saw in there, Toby, she wasn't WILLING to leave with us. Looked to me like she WANTED to stay. And as far as tonight goes, if she wants to sleep over, let her! The rest of us need time to recover, mentally as well as physically." The ginger's focus momentarily fell on Winnie. "For tonight, Win and I are surrendering. She's in horrible shape, and I feel like passing out. Neither of us are in any state to go back in. But if YOU are, be our guest. The house is yours." He gently rubbed at Winnie's arm. "C'mon, Win. Let's get you home before you catch death..." The sniffling woman didn't object, letting him lead her back up the street. Their lost belongings were FAR from their thoughts. Those things could be replaced. They, themselves, could not be.

Toby hated that he hadn't accounted for their well-being. They weren't machines, after all. Of course THEY didn't want to leave Jay behind, but even they had limitations. There were psychological barriers they still needed to over-come. Barriers Pennywise still played upon. Victor couldn't stand gore, and Winnie was afraid of drowning--both fears having resulted from incidents back in their childhood. Toby lacked any sort of negative childhood memory, so he could not relate. Alone, he gave the house another look, eyes locking on an illuminated figure in one suddenly-exposed window. Jay stood there, one of the pack's missing phones in hand. Its light revealed her face and upper body, reflecting off her glasses. She looked not at the screen, but directly at HIM. With the light masking her eyes, Toby couldn't read her expression. Was she pained by the sight of the group's breaking up? Was she relieved they weren't trying to break back in?

There wasn't time to try and decipher which it was; Toby saw movement just behind Jay, watched as a gloved hand came to rest on her shoulder. He could not see the second pair of eyes also peering down at him, but he could make out the clown's dark grin. It was all he could make out, just before Jay motioned to tap the phone's screen. The light was switched off, leaving the window darkened, once more.

'There's no point,' the pack's Beta thought. He stood no chance alone, if he were to charge back in, right then. Perhaps...the pack was right. They needed rest, and he needed time to think up a more appropriate plan. Clearly, a bat and a taser weren't going to be enough. Pennywise knew how to get in their heads and under their skin. They would need to learn how to counter this tactic.

The Beta gathered what belongings were left with him, glad for the crunching of snow following his departure, rather than the clown's insulting laughter.

**************************************************

Sleep eluded him.

No matter how much sleep-inducing medication he'd safely taken, he could not get his mind to simply SHUT. OFF.

Thoughts kept meandering back to Jay. Had that really been her he'd encountered in the Neibolt house? If that HAD been her, was what she'd claimed true? That she was keeping the Pack safe by siding in alliance with their monstrous foe? It had been overwhelming enough to learn she harbored a simple percentage of the clown's own being, but...was that really enough to prevent him from slaughtering her? What if that had all been a lie? Every little word? There was the possibility Jay was already dead, turned into Pennywise's next meal. The "Jay" he'd spoken to in Neibolt may as well have been but an illusion. This was REALITY, after all. People just didn't turn into werewolves on the spot! Besides, "Jay" had never even touched him, so how could he be convinced that was all real?

To tell the difference between a dream and reality up to a certain point, Toby could not. He wasn't even convinced he'd fallen asleep, half a mind confirmed that he'd stormed out of his apartment and rushed back to that presumably abandoned house. The experience--the memory--felt entirely real. So real, it frightened him! He felt himself ascend the steps, force open the door. He sensed the house's bizarre heat clashing with the outside world's current chill. He heard the floor creak as he walked, his destination being the room directly ahead of himself. From the threshold, he could see Jay planted in a chair, her back to him. He called to her, and she responded. Her head turned first, blue eyes filled with relief as she stood with his approach. He didn't give her time to run, quick to close the distance and embrace her in both arms. Was this a dream, or was this real? It FELT real, as if she were really there. He could feel her breathing, the texture of her hoodie's fabric. Even the hug she gradually returned felt like HER.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. It sounded like HER.

"...I haven't given up. Not yet. I'll get you out of here, Jay. I swear to it," he told her. And the relief he sensed emitting from her felt REAL. As if she still wanted to escape. As if there were still hope!

...However, there was always one around whom would shatter the illusion at any given moment. That moment was now.

"Very sentimental, is it not?"

Toby felt only rage at this intruding voice. He knew to whom it belonged--which explained the furious glare he wielded when he whipped around, attempting to shield Jay. Pennywise was not there, but a single red balloon was. It floated, undisturbed, a white string dangling quite limply. "You can't keep her hostage, forever," Toby spat, already sick of the clown's games. Silence followed, along with the strange shifting and twisting of the world around him. "Hostage?" questioned a falsely-confused Pennywise. He sounded insulted. "Why, never would Pennywise treat his best friend as a hostage~" Something dug into Toby's wrist, forcing his hands off of Jay. He turned, finding the towering clown at Jay's back, a clawed hand burying its claw tips in his flesh. "And yet, did those that bore you fail to tell you how rude it is to steal?" Pennywise taunted, his free hand on Jay's shoulder.

Steal?! The self-proclaimed Beta ignored the sharp sting in his wrist as he ripped it free from the clown's talons. "You're one to talk; you stole her from US!" He stepped forward, advancing toward his enemy. Yet, his aim to deal the clown damage was halted, first by the teasing wagging of a gloved finger, then by an unseen force grabbing hold of his legs, fixating him where he stood. Despite best attempts to break free, Toby relented in the fact that he could not. "What are you even planning to do with her? Why did you take her in the first place?" he growled, instead. All he wanted was an explanation. Thankfully, Pennywise was in a cooperative mood.

"Oh...this one? Nothing but mere fodder, at first. Originally destined to become a snack~ But...it was discovered she carries a small part of me. A part I cannot just snatch back, no. And she refused to surrender it, return what was taken from Ol' Pennywise. I presented two choices: give what's mine back, spare this little pack. Or...keep it, and continue playing the game~ Even still, she would not make a decision, and patience was wearing thin. If I could not have back what's mine, then she could keep it--on the condition she join me." The clown somewhat laughed. "And join me, she did--if I only leave you three be. Done, agreed upon. You all live happily, and she becomes my new pupil~"

"Pupil? For what purpose?" Some half of Toby wished he hadn't asked.

"Oh. Well, in due time, I shall have to retreat and resume my long-awaiting slumber. But before I take my long rest, this little new-blood must learn the tricks of the trade." At the mention, Pennywise playfully dug a finger at Jay's ear, causing her to casually recoil from the friendly tease with a grin. "A deal, we've struck, you see. While I rest, she must tend to the herd, let none stray away. And perhaps, if the right conditions are met..." His other hand left her shoulder to wander down, settling against her lower belly. "We shall prepare the nest~"

Toby knew well enough what THAT entailed--and he'd be darn sure not to let that happen! "Shame none of that will ever be anything more than a fantasy. I, for one, can't wait to see the disappointment on your face when we tear her from your grasp." Or land this jester in the ground, whichever came first. It was also a shame Pennywise didn't appear fazed by his threat. "Do you wish to challenge us?" he smiled, one hand rising to grasp the top of Jay's head. Although hating to see her like putty in that monster's hands, Toby was still unable to move. "You bet I do..." he grumbled, not expecting for the clown to assume control of the brunette he'd been hoping to rescue. As her eyes turned beastly, her body began to transform--just as Toby regained movement. He would not fight Jay; she was only a pawn, a puppet used to amuse its master. Yet, instead of facing her, he turned to run.

Which was not the wisest move when combating a werewolf. It took but one roar, and he dared a look back. A lunging figure and gleaming fangs were all he saw. Then...

His eyes shot open, focused on his dormant ceiling fan. A dream. It had all been a dream. And another infuriating conversation with the circus freak. Dawn hadn't broken yet, the nearest clock displaying the time of five in the morning. Sleep was far out of reach, now. Not that Toby minded; he'd a lot on the brain. Determined, he hurried out of bed, dropping himself down at his desk to start up his laptop. Whether the others pitched in or not, Toby wasn't going to quit until he'd freed Jay. To do that, however, he needed to know more about this clown in general. Derry had quite the extensive history--certainly it held the key to defeating its own monster!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? Have I not mentioned before how SLOWLY these parts drag out? This took me a few days to push through, but at least now I can get back into the more interesting bits. Perhaps we'll see how Jay's training is going?


	22. Words to the Wise

Underground tunnels were officially disorientating! How'd Pennywise even find his way, down here?!

Jay's frustrating two thoughts as she made her way through the dark network of cement pipes. Days ago, after her pack mates had given up on charging back in to rescue her, Pennywise had decided to put her through her paces, prematurely announcing the beginning of her training. Training? For what? To put out of her mind the existence of her own humanity, of course. For what he'd planned for her, she would be required to forget the fact she was ever human in the first place. Certainly, she was no longer human within, but she could still look it on the surface. Her body was successfully altered. Now it was her mind he'd set his efforts upon. A beastly mindset would serve her well from this point on.

The best way to begin THIS transformation, he'd thought, was to put her through a sensory test: have her physically transform and leave her to wander from the heart of the tunnels to the surface. Her only guide would be her own senses. Meantime, she was to avoid crossing paths with the clown. If he caught her, she would have to start all over. A perfect "starting line", as this would force her to use her sharpened senses, master them. A few rounds of this, and it would be habitual of her. Once she'd aced the tunnels, he would teach her to battle skillfully, strategically, rather than let her rush in a mere flailing beast. He wouldn't always be around to watch her back, after all, and she'd need to be fully capable of defending herself...and more.

One little step at a time. His rest was but on the horizon: visible, but still so far away.

First test was first; she needed to master her own elevated skill set. So he'd transported her somewhere below Derry, had her shed her human guise, and left her in the darkness, her hearing and vision all to lead her on. Smell was useless, this far down in the sewer system. Everywhere reeked of rot and waste, masking the clown's own scent. When the idea was to avoid capture and find a way to the surface, she would need every advantage she could get! Yet, the rotten stench worked both ways: Pennywise couldn't just sniff her out, either. This put them on equal ground, leaving them both to use only sight and hearing to locate their target. While finding her bearings, Jay refused to call out to her companion. He was supposedly tracking her. A mere game in his eyes, but in hers, it would mean being transported again within the depths of the sewers and made to do it all, once more. It had taken far more time than anticipated just to get her eyes to adjust to darkness on command, and who knew for how much longer she could hold grip over her beast form?

Oh, transforming without the clown's aid was an irritating chapter on its own...!

Clawed hands were placed as quietly and carefully as their owner could set them, taloned paws trailing behind. Black fur bristled in the damp warmth of the sewers' air. Her human clothing felt stuck to her body, partly due to environmental conditions, mostly due to how her altered body had filled out what was once baggy on her human form. Her nearly non-existent snout was lifted, her black canine nose shimmering with moisture as she uselessly gave her surroundings another sniff. She could hear only water droplets falling, and her night vision, for now, only let her see so far. Occasionally, she would hear him, bits of his voice's broken taunts. Something about it all made her anxious. Hilarious, considering SHE was the one in monster form. Under the circumstances she DID hear him, she was meant to halt herself, stand quietly in hiding until he'd passed her by. "See, but be unseen," as Pennywise had put it. A chapter of this metaphorical book she was having trouble understanding. Twice, she had sworn he'd seen her, but simply chose to let her go and keep wandering. Pitying the new-blood, wasn't he?

Seeing nothing, Jay tread on, ears keened, hands and paws landing where there was no water. Stepping in a puddle was so easily done, and she often feared the next would be enough to lure him to her. Ahead, tunnels stretched on. Left, right, onward. What was worse, there were no signs or peculiar objects to act as markers, anything to hint at what lie ahead. She was looking for ladders, perhaps a light shining in from the world, above. Anything to suggest emergence in the surface world. Claw tips grated at the cement floor as the she-wolf turned a left corner. A strange noise stopped her, urging her to listen. Rats. Just rats running by. Her tongue's tip brushed over her sheathed fangs, pale-yellow irises shifting once more in the direction she was heading. In her limited field of vision, roaches scurried into the safety of cracks in the cement walls. A spider crawled back up the web leading to the ceiling. She recalled what Pennywise had once commented to her about these nasty critters, about how tasty of a snack they all actually were--which made her stomach heave.

He'd only laughed at her misery and reassured her she would change her mind, given time. No way was she going to shove some multi-legged insect down her own throat!

A sudden laughter echoing up from further tunnels made her wolven body jump, it just out of sync with her still-human mind. Normally, an alert werewolf would rush to investigate, maybe ready its fangs for potential new prey. She was not yet willing to run TOWARDS the threat, even IF this one was just trying to intimidate her, and nothing more. Instead, she tried to quietly run on, right now aiming to silence her fleeing form. How was she to know her werewolf form made so much noise while running? Panting was easier to get under control, as all she had to do was shut her mouth and breathe in through her nose. In her enlarged but hairy form, her lung capacity was greater, capable of drawing in and holding far more oxygen than they could while she was human. Secondly was keeping her claws positioned where they wouldn't continuously produce audible clicks as they dragged along the stone-like surface below her. Being a silent hunter meant muting one's own noises, if at all possible. Pennywise may not have claws on his feet to worry about silencing, but even HE wore boots. And last Jay had checked, even though he could teleport himself wherever he pleased, he still walked. Certainly he'd once had to figure out a method of movement which quieted his own boot-steps.

Her wandering brought her upon a closed hatch door in the remainder of this tunnel. A simple turn of the lever would open it up, but...to her, it looked as though it hadn't been opened in years. This thing would without a doubt emit a screech loud enough to alert the clown to her location. She would have to find another route. Carefully backtracking, she peered about the immediate tunnels before deciding on one, launching her body in a short sprint and jump over a runway full of water. Soon stopping herself, she listened. Yet heard nothing. Her walk resumed. Alone in this meandering, Jay thought it harmless to let her mind wander, as well. Easy to do when there was no other with you to keep you company. Her thoughts immediately drifted to Toby, Winnie, and Victor. Her pack. What were they doing, now? Were they still plotting to come back for her? Would she end up physically fighting them? Would they try to off her as they would try with Pennywise? Heck, if he WERE gone, would her Lycanthropy be lifted? Would she be ready to let it go, if it were?

Considering all "good" it had done her...

She then thought of little Johnny, of his tearful expression as he screamed his last. Ray and his band of morons...while pleasing hunts below her claws, they were unnecessary deaths. Jay should have let them go. She would have, if she'd been alone, that night. But there had been burning eyes on her that evening, expecting her to deliver the killing blows. While not a terrible first hunt for the new she-wolf, it was far from Master Level. Hence why Pennywise had offered her these "lessons" of his. Still, she had to ask herself: was she really okay with picking him over her pack? Knowing well enough that he was trying to make a monster out of her, mentally as well as physically? Not that she could blame him. Werewolves and vampires made the best allies: monstrous in ability and strength, yet human enough to think, plot, understand. Strong and fast, as well as intelligent. And unlike Pennywise, they did not require fear to sustain themselves. Fresh blood or slaughtered meat sufficed, well enough. They did not need to play on the fears of others. Perhaps that was why he'd chosen this form to be her own? Perhaps that was why her Deadlight chose this form?

There was another sound behind her. Short-lived, like the expelling of a breath. She'd chosen to ignore it--and shouldn't have. Something claw-like hooked itself around one of her legs and pulled, snapping her out of her stupor. A surprised yipe slipped from fanged jaws as she tried to stop herself from being dragged backwards. Claws scraped the cement, leaving marks in their wake. When her body did stop sliding, the beast peered up at the figure garbed in silver overlooking her. He was not furious, but his golden eyes DID give her the impression that he was rather suspicious of her. She could not speak in this form, but the shame was evident in her eyes as she re-positioned herself to sit up-right. "Distracted, are we not?" he asked, accusingly. She didn't favor his tone. However, before she could growl back her annoyance, a wave of weakness swept through her. Her vision blurred, signaling her slipping hold over her monster form. Her body physically shrank back down to human size, animal traits reversing and withering away as she was forced to tear off her wolven flesh and expose her human self, underneath. Completely drained, she collapsed against the wall of the tunnel, slowly recovering as her "mentor" approached to kneel beside her.

"I gave you numerous signs," he told her, darkened eyes slightly narrowed.

Her responsive nod was slow. "I know...I'm sorry. I was just...thinking, is all..." She refused to flinch as he made move to reach for her. "About 'them'? They would only so much as shun you, turn you away. They no longer deem you one of their own," he pressed, despising how she still held onto that little slice of humanity. When she didn't reply, he tapped a finger against her forehead. "You should try again to silence the human, in here. You may believe it or not, but the one in HERE..." He gently tapped at her chest. "...This one has been long dead. Gone. It is your mind that holds you back, now." Jay felt her shoulders slack, unable to keep from feeling disappointed with herself. Sure, the Light inside her had claimed her body, but it hadn't claimed her mind. She had to be willing to surrender it, but was not. Giving up her humanity was rather frightening, at best. She would be like him: a heartless killer. A monster.

"I don't know if I can," she eventually admitted, eyes closing just long enough as he'd set his hand on her head. His gold eyes were blue, again. "Pennywise understands. Change is scary, isn't it? Ah, but he will not simply assume control of you, use you like a human tool, no. He would like you to be happy, embrace the change. That is why he's here to help you, teach you," he smiled, seeming unusually...friendly. Jay furrowed her brows at this. "Someone's being a little too nice, today. Why?"

That puzzled him. "Why? We are friends, aren't we? Partners? Playmates?"

'Only under the terms to leave my pack alone,' she thought, nodding regardless. "Well, good! Good!" he beamed, withdrawing his hand. "Pennywise may have caught you, but you can try, try again! But first, you are weakened. You need to feed. Your best friend will go grab you something, and we'll give it another go. Shall we?" Another quiet nod, and she failed to fight off a smile as he tapped her nose. "Then back to our chamber, we go~" the clown chimed, gentle in lifting her to her feet to take them both back to the chamber housing the remnants of his meteor's crash. After granting her time to fully dress herself, the clown bid his pardons and withdrew into the shadows. Off to find another victim, most likely. At least now there was light, and Jay could try to ease her weary mind. Thoughts of her friends wouldn't leave her be, the guilt of the recent slaughters weighing on her own heart. 'Temporary', as Pennywise had informed her. The sooner she learned to suppress her humanity, the sooner she would find new purpose but a simple chore. He truly believed she would come to enjoy being the hairy beast she tended to view herself to be. And while he showed his disdain whenever she couldn't yet overcome the human half of her mind, he never once attempted to hurt her.

He needed her to like him, favor him. Not hate him.

Hunger soon bubbled in her stomach, causing her to sigh out a laugh. "Guess he was right," she mumbled, rubbing her pleading belly. She needed to feed. Sighing again, she leaned back against the jagged formations jutting from the ground. "He'll be back," she told herself, trying to calm the pains in her stomach. A short nap would help the aches dwindle. Or, they would--if she didn't hear a commotion from the surface, just then. She sensed life, nearby. The beating of living hearts. Voices. There were people, close by. Soon up on her feet, Jay adjusted both her clothing and her glasses as she neared a drainage pipe protruding from a wall. Pennywise would return, but it wouldn't hurt to go and investigate who the intruders could be. Her palms to the tunnel walls, she was led on through the dark by these voices. Eventually stumbling upon a ladder to the surface, Jay ascended, propping open the manhole cover hiding her. She'd emerged by the Kissing Bridge, the location of her killing of Ray Norman. All evidence of his death had been eradicated, he and his buddies posted around town as 'missing'. As were all of Derry's missing children.

The two on the bridge this time were both male. Young men Jay knew, instantly.

Toby and Victor! What were THEY doing here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working up to another "meltdown". Next chapter's not going to pan out well for the Wolfe Pack. Then again, when in this story had it ever?
> 
> There will be another update to "Revival" before this one's 23rd chapter, so stay tuned!


	23. Boiling Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mild violence and betrayal in the chapter, ahead!

A lot was on the Wolfe Pack Beta's mind--had been since the evening of the Neibolt house's invasion.

Also having thrown the concept of sleep out the window, Toby had drowned himself in documents and reports from all corners of the Internet. He hadn't found much that he and the others hadn't already learned: for years and years, children had gone missing and/or were found dead, any causes still unknown. The disappearances always seemed to repeat in some 27 to 30-year cycle, exactly what he recalled Pennywise admitting to in his last dream-visit. That his "long-awaiting slumber" was drawing closer. Did the clown just SLEEP for those 27 to 30 years? If so, that explained why he'd so desperately wanted to get his hands on Jay's Light. That would have meant another piece of himself he'd have to go without for another cycle. And while he slept, there would be no binding force circling the inhabitants of Derry. That had Toby wondering if Pennywise was unable to leave town. If so, what was keeping him here? Whatever the reason, it was enough to tell the white-blond why, exactly, this entity had been stalking Jay.

If It could make a successful monster out of another Light-wielder, then It could sleep well, knowing another monster would be around to keep its livestock in check. It would never go hungry.

Yet, there HAD to be a way to stop It. Winnie had taken up reading through that book, hadn't she? He wondered if she'd gotten that far in. Otherwise, either he or Victor would need to resume reading, and who knew how much time THAT would eat up? Although he hated admitting it, maybe Jay had been right to join sides with the clown. Getting him to leave them be at least granted them precious time to formulate a counter-attack. Maybe the answers DID lie in the book? After all, weren't those very pages written by someone whom survived encounters with It? Well...surely, but even said survivor wasn't expecting Pennywise to lose a Light, nor for that Light to be found by a mortal. It may have turned their lifelong friend into a werewolf, but even THOSE beasts had weaknesses. Silver, above all. Question was: would the Pack bear enough will and courage to shoot down Jay?

...If it came to that, they would have to. Rather, Toby would take that upon himself. In his eyes, he would rather she die by a friend than by a monster.

His sleepless searches had bore plenty of fruit. Bites of knowledge he wanted to share with Victor and Winnie. So, days later, Toby called around for them to meet him at the Kissing Bridge. It was officially Christmas Eve, and snow had blanketed everything. Most of the wildlife had taken to hibernation, the only sign of life this far out being the rushing water of the river, below. A fish, now and then. And despite the cheerful, decorated warmth of Derry in all its Christmas glory, Toby just couldn't get himself into the spirit of the season. Somehow, he didn't think this year's Christmas was going to be so holly-jolly. It was cold out here, and his friends were late. Worse enough, the hot chocolate he'd thought was enough had grown cold in his stomach. He was getting impatient. Where WERE they?!

He fished out his phone to check for messages, any explanations as to why neither of them had turned up. He found nothing. Frustrated, Toby expelled hot breath on his aching digits before beginning to text them back.

"If you're about to bark at us, don't bother," addressed Victor's voice. Toby glanced up to find the ginger walking alone, dressed warmly, but wearing a look of annoyance and exhaustion. "Where's Winnie?" Toby asked, right off the bat. Victor squinted back, accusingly, "At home, fighting pneumonia. A family member answered when I called, earlier. Said she's not going anywhere until she's better. Doctor's got her on some powerful antibiotics." At Victor's words, Toby sighed, running a hand over his face. Of course she was; it was Toby's fault she'd even caught it in the first place! His misplaced anger was buried under his guilt. So busy worrying over Jay, he'd forgotten to take the remaining pack members to mind. Without Jay, they both turned to HIM. Look what sort of "alpha" he'd turned out to be! "...I'll bring her by a gift basket," he sighed, mentally expelling his pent-up baggage.

That would suffice, for now. On stable grounds, Victor neared to stand by Toby's side, arms resting on the bridge's railing. "What news do ye bring?" the ginger questioned, unable to fight the tiredness from either his expression or body. "Well, I haven't been sleeping...so I've been delving into whatever reports and posts I could find on the Internet. This...thing we're fighting. It's caught in this cycle of hunting for a year or two straight, then goes right to sleep for another 27 to 30 years. Gives Derry time to recover in numbers. It wakes, and the whole thing starts over, again," Toby explained, mimicking Victor's pose. "Any idea why this...space alien chooses to stay in Derry? I mean, it could literally go anywhere it wanted, feast on humans all around the world," the ginger replied.

"Honestly? I don't think It has that choice. I think It's trapped here, somehow. By what, I don't know. But that would be enough incentive to want to bag Jay, not just to try and get Its Light back."

"She's not caught up in that same cycle, so she could 'watch the herd' for It."

"Right. She learns the tricks of It's trade, she'd become a formidable beast to keep Derry in check during It's slumber. By the end of THIS cycle, the clown will go, but he'll leave behind a werewolf."

"Are you trying to imply we shoot her down with silver bullets?"

"...If it comes to that," Toby admitted.

"Seriously?" Victor paused. "Dude, I know what I'd said back on Neibolt was harsh, but...despite my claims, what if there IS still a way to save Jay?"

"None of us have figured it out, if that were true. Only Winnie's been reading the book, and she's temporarily out, sick. We don't know how far in she's gotten, and we're running out of time."

"...So let's think this through: say we DO hold out until the clown goes to bed. He leaves us a Jay we no longer know, and we're able to shoot her, dead."

The blond shook his head. "He'd be back in another 27 years or so, and it would start all over again."

"With one less monster, at least."

"Yeah, and us, one less friend. She's all that's keeping HIM from eating US. If she were gone when he next woke, who's to say WE won't turn up on those missing posters?"

Victor silently scratched at his head. "Guess you have a point..."

"We have to end it, this cycle. Now or never. But...how does one stop a creature that feeds off your worst fears?"

Neither young man held the answer. All they wondered about now was whom was next to pick up where Winnie had left off.

"You learn to overcome your own fears, of course," another voice--feminine--piped up. Both men turned, halting Jay in her approach. As she did, she held up both hands. "Stay calm, it's just me. No clown," she told them, yet didn't take another step closer. That wasn't enough to clear up their suspicions. "You sure about that? Are WE sure about that? Because I can't say I'd be surprised if he were lurking around, somewhere," Victor responded, Toby leaning around him to gaze upon the brunette. Caution prevented her from drawing near. Everything Pennywise had said was still fresh in her mind, making her paranoid that he was right about her friends. What if they DID disown her, now? "He'd gone off on his own, left me down in the sewers. I heard you guys from down there, and...I thought I'd see how you were doing," she stated, voice sincere so as to lower their guard. Whether or not they still considered her their "alpha", she still saw them as her friends.

"See how we're doing?" Toby repeated, grin rather bitter. "I don't know, Jay. What do you think? I mean, the three of us showed up to save you, dealt with horrors you couldn't even imagine, just so you'd say you're happy where you are, and did nothing as we were chased off the premises. Heck, Winnie's not even holding herself together, and you weren't there to help!"

Jay lowered her hands, sticking them back in her hoodie's pockets. "I never asked you to come back for me. I told you my reasons for declining rescue. So long as I do as he says, you guys won't get eaten. You'll live on."

"THAT makes us feel so much better! We get to stand by on the sidelines while people around us are snatched off the streets," Toby argued, fury reignited in seeing Jay before him. He didn't want her hurt, but he DID want to make clear to her what her actions were doing to the Pack. He'd forgotten she also had a short fuse. "You think I asked for this, Toby?! You think I wanted for a now-deceased family member to find some ancient piece of an alien entity, become its new host?! You think I wanted to become a monster?!" she snipped back, for the moment silencing him. "News flash, Lawrence: I didn't! I made a deal with an emotionless space beast to keep the people I care about most from certain death! I did this because I don't WANT to see you guys torn apart and eaten alive!"

"Then why won't you fight WITH us, instead of against us?! You're a monster now yourself, aren't you? You can fight him!"

"No, Lawrence. I can't."

"Why can't you?! Whose side are you on?!"

"I can't because I'm his puppet, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" When neither male spoke, she ranted on. "You can't see 'em, but the strings are attached! If I don't act willingly, he WILL make me! I may very well end up the monster that eats you all, if I don't play along!"

...He hadn't taken that into account. She harbored a piece of the clown, so it only made sense that he could assume control of her whenever he pleased. She had her reasons not to turn against Pennywise. That didn't mean she couldn't still help. "Then tell US how to beat him. How can we stop him, Jay?" Victor stepped in, trying to prevent another outburst from the Beta. However, she shook her head. "I can't tell you. Not directly. All I can share is a hint, and that's to learn to conquer your own fears," she spoke as she calmed down. Conquer their own fears? Heh--easy for her to say! The clown wasn't playing on HER fears! "Is there no direct way to kill this thing?" Toby asked, keeping his anger out of his voice. "The sooner we finish this, the sooner things can go back to normal. He's done enough damage, between Nathan, Ray's gang, that kid in the park--"

"Johnny."

He stared Jay down. "...What?"

"The kid in the park? His name was Johnny."

"...How do you know that? The family refused to disclose his name."

"He told me."

"The clown?"

"No. Johnny did--before he died."

"You see? That's reason enough we need to--"

"Pennywise had nothing to do with Johnny. Not really," Jay again cut in. When they both returned questioning gazes, she admitted it. "He may have taken hold of me, but it was by MY hands that Johnny died. Pennywise had Georgie." She blinked, and her eyes had turned beastly. "Johnny was mine."

Too nervous to speak, Victor stepped back. Toby, on the other hand, felt his rage spike in seeing this small change in Jay. Hands in fists at his sides, he muttered, "What of Ray and his band?"

"They were...those were all my hunts, too. Willingly."

"Jay...they were jerks, but they didn't deserve to die!"

"I know; I could have spared them." There was a faint smirk accompanying her saddened voice that Toby didn't like. "...But it'd be a lie if I said I didn't thoroughly enjoy it."

What was happening to her? This wasn't the Jay Toby knew. This wasn't his friend, his mentor, his...crush. Not a one in the Pack particularly liked Ray or his gang, but none of them had wished them to die! And young Johnny? He'd still his whole life ahead of him; he was just a kid! Tack all of that on top of their loss of Nathan, of the stressful toll all of this had on the Pack...Toby couldn't handle it, anymore. Nor did he know why he'd done what he'd done, just then. Almost as if the rage building within had taken control. Before he knew it, he'd closed the distance between himself and Jay. The smirk had gone from her face, sorrow and regret in its place. "I'm sorry" were the next words meant to pass her lips. But they never did. Her lips were pulled back instead to bare exposed fangs in response to the sucker-punch Toby then threw to her face, a threatening snarl booming from her throat. It was rapidly turned into a pained yelp when his next punch was thrown into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

Panicked, Victor rushed after them as Toby unknowingly forced her closer to the bridge's railing. Over and over, he called out for Toby to stop, repeatedly tried to pull him off of the brunette. His actions were but in vain, as Jay was thrown over and into the rushing water, below. A desperate roar broke the cold air, followed up with the audible splash. Horrified, Victor shoved Toby aside, calling out to Jay. He failed to spot her. Widened eyes were then turned to Toby. "You played right into the clown's hands. You know that?! She'll go straight to him, now!" Almost as if those words had snapped him from trance, Toby blinked back to focus, stumbling back as Victor pushed by him to run along the river's edge. He panted, reviewing the event from seconds ago in his head.

Had...

Had he just--

Did he push Jay off the bridge?!

His hands ached, ignored as the next image to flood his mind was none other than the clown, himself. What was revealed to him in those dreams...

His own eyes widened. What had he just DONE?! Regaining his senses, Toby hurried after Victor, praying he had a chance to right his mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to throw this warning up here, as well: the next one's going to have some sexual content, so be prepared for it. (Or feel free to skip it, when it's posted. I'll provide a summary for you all.)


	24. Swindled (Mature content)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Sexual content in the following chapter! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Which of the two sensations was worse: the river's chilling embrace or the sharp sting of her friend's betrayal? Both were extremely uncalled for. Neither had been asked for. Yet, it was both that Jay understood as she fought to keep her head above water. First priority was to get oxygen in her lungs, since all breath had been knocked from her before her tumble off the bridge. Some unidentifiable flavor filled her mouth as she gasped in breaking the water's surface, a consistent spray blinding her. She hadn't known for how long she'd let the current carry her. Her back struck something hard, and she desperately let her claws rip through flesh to grasp at it.

A rock. Typical of rivers. For now, her lifeline, and a spot of refuge from the chilling current. Lungs purged water from her throat, giving her time to draw in crucial air. Clear her mind. Toby had gotten furious, shoved her off the bridge. She couldn't blame him, but...for a FRIEND to do that...? The more she replayed the moment in her head, the more she had to fight back the stinging in her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't let herself. Her stomach hurt, and her limbs were growing stiff. Groaning, she pulled herself from the icy liquid, perching on her knees to rest. Hair dripping, she lifted her head, trying to see just how far she'd traveled. Her surroundings were blurry. So was the river around her, the trees along the earth on either side. She reached a clawed hand to her face. Her glasses were gone. No doubt thrown off by the current during her struggle. Her hand fell, fingertips still bloodied from her claws' emergence. She was tired, sore, cold. But the pain she felt inside was far greater. It would seem her pack truly did not want her help. Not anymore.

She squinted, trying to spot the next closest chunk of rock. Whatever form of stable footing she could find to clear her from the rushing water. Muscles protested, but still gave her the strength needed to leap from rock to solid ground. Her body had instinctively landed on all fours, she not even caring to attempt to hold on to her sense of humanity, anymore. Why bother? The only people who wanted her to remain human no longer required her aid. They no longer wanted her. She sniffed, shutting her eyes as she lowered her head. What now? Go back to the sewers? Admit to Pennywise that he was right? Would he laugh at her? Even with the noise of the current at her back, she could still hear the jingling of tiny bells, signature of his appearance. Her eyes opened to catch sight of his puffball-tipped boots. He was crouching in front of her. At first, she didn't dare meet his gaze. She could already expect his mocking grin, his look of which spoke, "I told you so~" But when he didn't move any further than that, she finally looked to him. He wasn't mocking her. Rather, he looked so...sad. Pitying her. "I tried to tell you," was all he told her, his jolly tone forgotten. That enticed a bitter smile. "...Yeah. You did," she choked. Another sniffle. "I'm sorry," she muttered, voice cracking. He didn't reply. Instead, an arm rose, a gloved hand offering her something. Her glasses. Neatly folded and undamaged. She didn't question him; just simply accepted them back and put them on. Not that either needed to speak--they were on the same page, now.

"Might I pester you for another favor, best friend?" Pennywise wondered aloud, shattering their silence. Another bitter smile. "Why not?" she shrugged, deciding to side with the lesser of the two evils. HE didn't push her off a bridge, after all. His childish grin blossomed, eyes still a pleasant blue, and he gestured her to come closer. Jay ignored the dying pain in her stomach as she leaned forward on her hands, expecting to receive a new secret to bear. He'd, in fact, neared an ear and mumbled his request to her. Which caused her to recoil, wide-eyed and blushing. A second was all it took to process his words and to search his face for some sign that he was joking. "Now, you and I both know perfectly well you can do that, all on your own. No female required," she smirked, having remembered skim-reading a page in the book which mentioned eggs. His expression was rather...pleading. There was an explanation, but now was not the time to share. They both heard voices growing closer. Jay held back a growl. "...Alright. But terms and conditions apply," she finally answered, just wanting for him to get them both out of the area.

The owners of the voices gradually hurried through the vegetation, calling out for Jay to respond. Once or twice, they'd caught sight of her. Then they'd caught sight of HIM. They were hunched down on the other side of the river. But by the time Victor and Toby reached its bank, neither Jay or Pennywise were there. Instead, all that greeted them was a single red balloon.

What were they to do, now?

**************************************************

He'd taken them both back to Neibolt, where he'd let her recover from her minor injuries. The outside gates and the doors had all been locked, letting no outsiders in. Any curious minds were frightened away...or dragged in as a next meal. A reluctant change in diet, as Jay didn't used to eat people. First "trial" saw to her transforming on her own, just to slay and eat an unfortunate capture. It wasn't as bad as she'd pictured, once she'd let her feral half take control. Hearts, she discovered, soon became one of her favorites. Feasting on the living also aided in her body's healing, as by Christmas day, she was strong enough to resume her training. With her mental blocks gone, worries no more, she was better equipped to tackle her sensory test in the sewers. She'd improved, but didn't manage to escape the tunnels. Yet. Rather, when she was found this time around, she allowed instinct to call the shots. Instead of fleeing, instinct made her turn to challenge him. That had only intrigued him. Ready to skip chapters, was she? Into the sewers' depths, he'd led her. At their heart was It's lair, where her combat lessons were held. A trying moment for Jay, as she had tried to harmonize her rational mind with her beastly one. With two "minds" inhabiting one body, both natures would need to work together. Finding that "harmony" took several mistakes, a few missteps. But the longer the staged fight dragged out, the more the clown began to reveal signs of his true self.

Most notably, the massive insect-like claws he'd made of his hands to interrupt one of her attacks. What he was, she would come to find out. In due time.

By nightfall that Christmas day, Jay had made leaps and bounds beyond where she had been, previously. That little push from her friends may have been all the "encouragement" she'd needed. The transformation in every sense of the word was noticeable, particularly once Pennywise dismissed her training for the evening. Her beast half was beginning to bleed through, her Deadlight granted further influence over her body, as her peach-tone flesh had paled to a shade of white, her nails stuck in a permanent state of stubby black claws. There were little alterations to her face, her lips now black, and teeth only beginning to sharpen. Transitions she, herself, hadn't yet acknowledged. She was shaping up, performance-wise. Perhaps it was due time to begin preparations?

"Still up for a little fun, above ground?" Pennywise had prompted, shortly after her training had ended. While he'd been busy reverting his claws into gloved hands, the She-Wolf to whom he spoke had taken to recovering off in a corner, resting hunched down on the balls of her feet. "Fun?" she snickered, shifting blue eyes toward him. The flesh around them was starting to turn black. "Far too early to celebrate, isn't it?" She caught herself beginning to drool, a hand up at her closed lips to stop this. She still wasn't used to having fangs. "Oh...your training is far from complete, my blue jay~ But you have been improving. Oh, exceedingly well!" the clown grinned, expression friendly. His head tilted as he tacked on, "Unless...you would prefer not to go up and enjoy yourself...? No matter which you decide..." His grin faltered only slightly, his eyes burning gold. "It would only be wise to begin making our preparations~" Jay barely avoided cutting her darkened lips with her developing fang tips. Ah. Right. She'd agreed on yet another favor, had she not? Elbows at rest on her knees, she let her gaze fall, wander in thought. This favor, in particular, was extremely important to Pennywise. Granted, the deed did not entirely require her assistance, but...given that he had tried once before and failed to keep any of THEM alive...? Perhaps a second set of claws was remedy, enough. "We're just...PREPPING for them for now, right? I mean..." Jay sighed. "I'm not exactly in a position to look after them, right now."

She didn't flinch at his sudden closeness, despite never detecting his approach. "No need to fret, best friend~ They will not come until we are both ready. Until YOU are ready," Pennywise clarified, a short wag of a finger ending with a tap to the tip of her nose. Enough to warrant a calming smile, in the least. "Well, if it's just to prepare, for now..." She eyed him. "But I have conditions."

"Do you? Well, don't be shy, blue jay~"

She smirked, rather slyly. "I've yet to miss any of Derry's festivals."

************************************************

Toby wandered alone, this night. Victor and Winnie were celebrating with family, not even bothering to respond to his texts, earlier. Coat adorning his upper body, breath seeping out in a fog, clumps of snow and ice scattering as he kicked them. Cheerful holiday tunes filled the distant air, flashing Christmas lights directing him toward the town's latest festival. Children in coats and rain boots ran by him, chucking snow balls at one another. Some ran along, dragging their infant siblings behind them on sleds. There were carnival-type games to be played, plastic snowflake ornaments to be won, hot chocolate to be consumed by the mugful. Some kids had run up to greet "Santa", tell him their thanks for giving them what they wanted, that year. Even if he hadn't been too old to believe in the obvious imposter, Toby still wouldn't have gone to thank the man in red. He hadn't gotten what HE wanted for Christmas. Not yet, anyway. The card he'd been saving for Jay was tucked in his back pocket, filled to the brim with everything his heart desired to tell her. He had longed to find her earlier that day, give it to her along with his regretful apology, and pray it was enough to win her over--like it did in movies. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find her. PageTurner's was closed for the day, so she wasn't at work. She wasn't at home, either. He hadn't dared to go back to Neibolt. Chances are, that demon in a clown suit would be there with her, if she HAD been there. Jay didn't answer her phone when he called. Who knew what happened to the pocket-sized device? Still, Toby knew Jay well enough to know that she wouldn't dare miss out on a celebratory festival, choosing to go as well as his last resort. If she weren't there, well...

He checked his phone for messages, missed calls. There were none. Mentally sighing, Toby scowled at himself and stored his phone away. Christmas would officially be over in four hours. If he were going to find her, he'd need her to turn up, soon. To bide time, he stopped at a snack booth for a mug and a cookie, then stood someplace out of the way to watch for her. She had to show up; she just had to! His cookie disappeared, with no sign of the brunette. Mug, about halfway empty. He checked his phone again. Forty minutes had passed. He motioned to finish off his mug. Where was sh-- The blond spit up the last bit of his beverage, dropping the mug at his feet. Far off, he saw her. He'd recognize her white hoodie, anywhere! A large, black spider web decorated its front, accompanied by a smiling fanged spider wearing a Santa hat. Casually, Jay had her hands in her pockets, singing quietly to herself as she walked by. Her destination was, apparently, "Frosty's Ice Maze".

Ugh...Toby HATED mazes. Why was she so drawn to them?! Unrelated, as Toby chased after her, doing his level best to keep from running people over. The attendant stationed at the maze entrance sat with a tablet in his lap, a mug in one hand. He spoke not to Jay as she passed him by, barely even registering her presence. Yet, when Toby tried to hurry in, the man quickly stopped him. "Did'ja get a stamp there, son?" he asked, gesturing then to the booth close by. Admission, no doubt. "No, I haven't. But listen! I've been trying to find a friend of mine, and she JUST went inside. If I could just--" Toby began to explain. "Aw, no. Sorry, son. You need a stamp before I can let ya in. Fee's only a dollar," the attendant denied. Toby furrowed his brows, "Fee? What? No! My friend literally JUST went in. Can I please just--"

"Son, nobody's been by here. But if you wanna go in, you need a stamp."

The younger man's expression said it all. Seriously? He ignored the older man's shouts as he hurried in, anyway. Right away, his hatred of the reflecting walls made his blood boil. Where had Jay even gone? Few walls were transparent, allowing him to peer around where he could for her whereabouts. He occasionally saw her: a flash of her retreating hoodie sleeve, a few seconds to watch her step around a corner. All the while, she continued to sing. Something slow, haunting. One of her Halloween favorites. Within range, he'd call out to her, bang a fist on the transparent walls, hoping she'd hear him. She didn't appear to. So he followed. Dead-ends made him turn right around, find another route. When he began to think he was close, he was stopped by another wall. Frustrating...but enough to have him believe they weren't alone in the maze. At one point, Toby had come to a stop in one of the corridors, Jay separated from him by two walls. Clearly, she had to have seen him! Again, Toby called to her, slamming a palm on the false glass. Her walking had stopped, as did her singing. Curious, she peered around herself, blue eyes questionable behind her frames. Could she not see him? "Jay! I'm right here!" he yelled, waving a hand at her. For an instant, he swore she'd looked him in the eyes. Thanks to the white lights strung up along the maze walls, he noticed a few differences about her that weren't there, before. Her skin was almost chalk-white, and her lips were pitch-black. Darkness was also beginning to surround her eyes. He shook in place, and not because of the cold. Why was this happening to her?

Worse yet, she hadn't appeared to have seen him, dark lips pulling in a grin as she turned to her left. Before either of them could react, she was pinned to a wall by their "uninvited" guest. The white of the clown's costume appeared a shade of gray in the maze's lighting, gloved hands fisting Jay's hoodie as they held her up off the ground. Like Jay, Pennywise didn't acknowledge Toby's presence. Instead, the two conversed on the other side of the wall, their words unheard by the blond. Whatever was said, it wasn't in Toby's favor. He could tell by the widening grin on Jay's face. A widening grin that perfectly showed off the set of fangs she was developing. Was he about to eat her? He wouldn't let that happen! Angrily, Toby pounded on the wall, once more. Jay still hadn't heard him...but the clown sure did. In trying not to alert her, the ginger-haired monster looked only with his eyes, staring directly into Toby's. He didn't know how, but Toby knew then HE was the reason Jay couldn't hear him. Red lips parted to let a tongue run across them, and Toby expected the clown to hurriedly take a bite out of Jay. What happened instead dropped Toby's heart to his stomach. The clown's tongue elongated, dragged up along the brunette's throat. Jay's own eyes had widened, teeth bared and somewhat clenched. Based on how close the clown had stepped to Jay, how he'd halted to mutter something in her ear, Toby feared then what he was due to witness. He had to reach them, fast! He turned, hands on the walls to find his way around. Anger soon morphed to panic when it became obvious there was no way out of this "box". Pennywise had somehow sealed off any and all exits from this corridor.

Toby didn't want to turn back around. He didn't want to know what he'd find. But he hadn't a choice. He fought nausea as he turned to find the clown pinning Jay to the wall with his body, her pants and undergarments just below her knees. Toby didn't register Jay's expression, once again met with the clown's golden gaze. He could hear nothing, practically forced to watch a gloved hand leave Jay to tuck itself under the peplum of Pennywise's costume. There were no sounds, just movement. What slithered out from under the skirt-like fabric was tentacle-like, solid-black, completely smooth, and...shiny with some slimy substance. It writhed between the two bodies until it located the warmth between her legs. The roar torn out of Jay was fully audible to Toby, whom could only watch as she curled against this monster. Eyes shut tight behind her glasses, she sank her budding fangs into Pennywise's upper arm, her own hands plunging small claws into the back of his costume. The fabric under her claws ripped, blood beginning to bubble out and...float? The same occurred with Jay's remaining bite mark, blood rising from around her buried fangs. She still wasn't aware of Toby's plight, too occupied in withstanding the thickening organ still crawling upward, inside her. Her "partner" muttered something in her ear, something she couldn't decipher. Pressure rapidly built at her cervix, and her jaws released Penn's arm in a sharp gasp, snapping shut again around his ruffled collar. Her claws dug further into his flesh as she felt his organ breach her womb, persistently wiggling against her tight walls as he began to fill her with a strangely cold, almost gel-like substance. The constant movement in her lower body and the chill filling her proved an effective combination in quickly tightening her inner coil. He spoke again, this time with words she could understand.

"Howl for me, blue jay~"

She felt her inner walls tighten at those words, her inexperienced body already so wound up and ready to spill. But she was afraid to--and he sensed that. Snarling, he tightened his grasp at her hips, pulling her as firmly as he could to himself and successfully ripping another rough gasp out of her. "Howl for me," he growled, his organ's movement worsening. Fangs still securing their hold on his collar began to trickle with blood, the gums bleeding as her fangs' growth was accelerated. She'd assumed no control of herself as she leaned back to look moon-ward, a wolven howl rattling the maze walls around them. Toby could take no more. In his hurried attempt to turn before hacking up his last beverage, he noticed some of the barricades had gone. He could now proceed--and in rushing, he did. In his departure, he didn't see the Light's glow stretching up the hidden veins in Jay's neck, the gradual pointed growth of her ears, or the unfocused stare she held for mere seconds until her deep-blue eyes turned the same piercing light-blue shade as Pennywise's. Now that their "audience" had gone, a satisfied Pennywise gently withdrew himself from within his companion, swiftly making them both presentable, again. Jay made no fuss as she was maneuvered in his arms, brain in a fuzzy haze as her corrupting Deadlight gradually translated the clown's earlier words.

"I cannot breed you in this form...but I can claim you~"

A basking smile was her only reaction as she was carried off. Back to Neibolt, she had to assume. Too absorbed in the clown, she failed to realize Toby rushing ever closer. Or, at least he had HOPED he was getting closer. Hopes that were ultimately dashed when he stumbled upon the small space they HAD occupied, now to find it empty. Neither monstrous clown or traitorous she-wolf were to be found. Suddenly, Toby felt cold far deeper than just on the surface. Numb, some would say. He didn't even react as security caught up with him to drag him out of the maze.

The card in his back pocket was long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knows what Penn and Jay were up to before their little "adventure" in the maze? Might have been building snow-beasts, or something. SOMETHING had them occupied while Toby snacked, certainly. XD
> 
> So, yeah: a mature warning was tossed up there for obvious reasons. Just FYI: Penn wasn't exactly "making love" in this bit. I honestly don't think a creature like Pennywise would even be remotely interested in the concept of such a humanly emotion. He'd said before he was solely interested in "preparing the nest". He just didn't say the nest was going to be INSIDE Jay, that's all.
> 
> (Don't hate; I'm only taking facts from the book/mini-series and snippets from the movies. Canonly, he CAN lay eggs. It's just in this fanfic, he'd planned to have someone carry them, protect them, in his absence.)
> 
> There may be a couple updates to "Revival" before this one's next update. Not sure, yet. XD


	25. Skeptical

Christmas trees still shimmered in store windows, lights both multi-colored and white glowing for all they were worth for the last time, before they were to be taken down and stored away for a whole other year. People dressed in their warm best were lining the streets, most ready for one last holiday party before the arrival of a new year. Love-sick teens populated most of Derry's small corners, attempting their best to sneak adult beverages before legal age and trying to get a potential significant other drunk, just so they'd end up "making out" where they shouldn't. Mistakes that would later result with an unwanted child during the following school year. A darker side of Derry was infamous for this, yet often drowned out by the sheer number of missing children whose faces were posted in just about every public gathering place.

It made some wonder if the Unwanted were among the Missing.

Midnight drew near, bringing with it the beginning of a fresh year. Out in the local park, currently closed for the town's final festivities until Spring, a young couple was tied up in a forbidden act of their own. Both teens, a male with brown hair, and a female with long red hair. Dressed warmly, at first. Yet, thanks to the consumption of illegally-obtained beverages and the giddiness of being caught doing something inappropriate, layers were quickly being shed. The giggling red-head cast off her coat as she hurried to a bench she believed to be hidden from view. After sparing another look for her companion, she laughed and gulped down the last of her beverage can's contents. Once emptied, it was carelessly crushed and tossed over a shoulder in the direction of the closest dumpster. Which, ironically, bore a sign which stated, "Keep our parks clean. Don't litter!"

She then whooped and cheered something slurred about "making the cheerleading squad", before stumbling over herself and falling back onto the bench, behind her. Riling laughter was interrupted by an attempt to not be ill, brushed off with a grin as she felt hands cover her eyes. "Quit it, Matt. I already know it's you," she slurred, unsure by now of how many drinks she'd consumed. Her partner, equally as drunk, nearly tipped the bench over as he slumped down beside her. Another bout of giddy laughter erupted as Matt purposely tried--and failed--to tip their seat over. As they calmed down, his lady snuggled up to him, prompting him to set an arm around her. "Happy New Year, Emily," he charmed. Grinning shyly, Emily closed the distance between them in a short kiss. "Happy New Year, Matt," she returned, quickly resuming and amping up their "make out session". On the crest of a new year and in a "secret place" under the light of a waxing moon, why not? "Romantic," most would have called it.

A "romance" that came to a screeching halt. Quite literally.

Neither expected for a strong hand to wrap its clawed fingers around the male's ankle, or for said grasping limb to yank him from the bench and behind the nearby dumpster at an alarming pace. Frightened shouts were immediately silenced, leaving Emily in a state of shock on the bench. Afraid that someone else was there with them, she hesitantly stumbled to her feet. "Matt?" There was no response. Sniffling, the red-head reached for her discarded coat. "If this is a prank, it's NOT funny." There was a little noise from behind the dumpster, urging her closer. "C'mon, are we doing this or what? My mom thinks I'm in bed, right now. I have to go soon, before she--" Emily screamed at a loud bang against the back of the large metal unit. Something metallic filled the air and made Emily sick to her stomach. Suddenly nervous, she held her coat close. "Matt?" she whimpered. She jumped as a large hand emerged to grip one corner of the unit. Its flesh was chalk-white, fingers bearing thick, black claws. Adorning the backs of each digit and up this hand was a coat of pitch-black fur.

Which was currently soaked wet with crimson.

As dread filled the red-head's body, she couldn't tear her eyes off the creature that emerged, soon after. On its other equally-beastly hand leaned a monstrous, wolf-like creature. On all fours, it stood shorter than Emily's stature, its body a flawless cross between muscular and lean, almost feminine. Hidden, mostly, below a concealing hoodie and jeans. A mane of black fur and pointed bare ears led down to a wolven face, sporting barely a muzzle and bloodied fangs. Pale-yellow irises pierced the darkness that had otherwise cloaked this monster, moisture shining on the creature's canine-like nose as its nostrils flared. Not a snarl was required to scare the remaining female, for when Jay stepped out in all her Lycanthrope glory, Emily let loose a scream, body barely turning in time to run. An action that triggered the she-wolf like a newly-fired gun. The beast rushed forward, quick to close the distance between herself and her target. A swipe of her claws at the teen's ankle knocked her to the ground. Disoriented, Emily didn't scream out in time for help, only doing so in fear as sharp teeth clamped down on the back of her thigh. Blood flowed as flesh and muscle were ripped and torn. Her screams went unheard, buried under the celebratory cheers from the townsfolk as midnight struck.

The beast was thankful the park was empty. None present to witness the gory feasting, beyond the distant Paul Bunyan statue and the growing moon, above. A permission granted by her guiding clown, no less. And a blessing she was thankful for, in the meantime that he was active. For both monsters to coexist, they would each have to settle on fair hunting grounds. Pennywise already had the town of Derry in his palms. As for Jay? What better than the forests that stretch beyond Derry's limits? An effective "pen" in which to hold the fodder. For a later time, when she hunted alone. For now, his hunting grounds were her own--just so she could better adapt, transition. Her feeding was undisturbed, messy, and...admittedly, delectable. It was not fear her beast half craved, but the fresh blood and warm meat of the living. Almost automatically, the beast went straight for the heart, clawed digits easily ripping through flesh and breaking bone to access the chest cavity. A newly-harvested heart, ripe with blood, was her official weakness. The best to heal any wound, as she'd earlier discovered. Although, how eating hearts healed wounds, she hadn't yet questioned. Perhaps it worked in the same ways as vampires' drinking blood in dire situations?

Rational thought and control slowly seeped back in her favor, her bloodlust satiated. When Jay resumed control, she was greeted with the dead-panned face of the corpse at her feet. The body had been hollowed out, blood creeping along the ground around them. Yellow irises turned a bright blue as she settled back on her haunches, taking the time to lick her hands and face clean. While doing so, she couldn't resist but to look for the moon--and exhaled through her nose. It wasn't full. She wouldn't hold her beast form, long. Such a pity. Some dark side of her hidden deep within enjoyed these impromptu hunts. Beginning to "lose herself", as some would say. Just fine with her. It wasn't as if anyone needed her. Well...except for Pennywise. The thought alone reminded her of the stringy, web-like sensation spreading in her womb. A sensation she still cringed at. Several days had passed since he'd "prepared her" during the Christmas festival. And while their "bonding" was thrilling, Jay couldn't claim she particularly liked feeling the shifting of a forming cocoon inside her. It was gross, like a massive ball of human hair all gathered up and implanted within her. Sometimes, she'd even feel the remnant "gel" crawling along her organ's walls, as if still settling. But...why a web? Why a cocoon? Was Pennywise a clown, or wasn't he? A question planted in her brain, refusing to die. She would ask, this night.

A new year meant a clean slate; an open book. No secrets to keep from each other.

Bright eyes wandered as she finished cleaning herself of blood. From the moon to the stars, then to the corpse beside her, to the town and the people who were unaware of the murders having taken place in their beloved park. To the dumpster which hid the first body she'd claimed, then to the "Don't Litter" sign--

Oh.

Jay peered again to the near-skeletal remains of her kill.

Oh.

Well, if the law states against littering...

On bear-like paws, the Lycan stood, reaching down to grasp her "leftovers" by a leg. A blood trail dried away as she dragged it to the dumpster in question, using only her claws to open the sliding hatch. In went the girl's body. Moments later, her male companion joined her, wearing the same dead-panned expression. The hatch was slid shut, again by Jay's claw tips, before the beast went about seeing herself back within the sewers. Navigating them had grown easier, the darkness of the tunnels now gone, thanks to Jay's developing night-vision. Scent was still rendered useless, but after numerous trails to give her practice, the beast knew where she was and which tunnel would take her where. A loss in strength increased the further in she wandered, her body threatening to revert back to human form. 'Not yet,' she thought with a shake of her head. 'At least not until I've made it, home.' A plea her physical form answered, granting her precious moments more to let her emerge in Pennywise's lair. With her final act to hang from the lip of the protruding pipe and drop to her feet, she felt her body begin its reverse-transformation. Wolven fur was shed, claws and fangs shrinking in the while the Lycanthrope returned to human state. Monstrous "mask" ripped off, she let it fall to shrivel into dust on the ground. Werewolf traits still transfigured her human form, flesh still white, ears faintly pointed, and lips still dark as night. Dampness against her chest reminded her of the cold blood drying on her hoodie. She grimaced, but chose to ignore it in favor of wandering by the clown's large piles of "collected trophies".

Sounds of distant rummaging lured her closer, eventually rewarding her with the appearance of Pennywise, himself. Occupied in the withdrawal and observation of various children's toys--most of which he threw aside with little interest. "What are you doing?" the brunette asked after humoring him enough to let him toss away several toys in peace. Bright-blue eyes locked on her bloodied form. "Welcome back, blue jay~" he somewhat laughed with a childish grin. It dropped in curiosity with his next question. "Was the hunt successful?"

"Shockingly," she replied, moving to sit herself on an undisturbed pile. "I really wasn't expecting to find anyone in the park, after-hours. Luckily, the promise of alcohol was enough to lead two ignorants away from the crowds. Park-keepers will have a field day, come time to collect trash, tomorrow." She eyed him through frames she then adjusted. "Are you going to answer me, now?"

The clown paused, as if recalling what it was she'd even asked of him. "Oh...just sorting out amusements for the hatchlings, is all. Children can hardly entertain themselves, now can they?"

She fought against a grin. "Hatchlings? Penn, you haven't even laid 'em, yet. They're nowhere near ready for 'amusements'."

"Ah! Never too early to prepare," he retorted with a teasing shake of a finger.

Enthusiastic, wasn't he?

"...Well, at least you're eager. I haven't quite made up my mind, yet. Glad I still have a little window of time. Um...I do, don't I?" She shot him a weary frown. He stood frozen for a moment longer, eyes dropping to stare at her body. He eventually shook himself as well as his head, resuming his rummaging, "Not yet. Needs more time." She took that as a 'yes'. "How much longer will the nest need to wait?" she prompted, shifting in place at the crawling sensation in her lower body. How disgusting...! The ginger-haired clown didn't face her as he replied, "Your womb is still transitioning, mutating. It will be days more before it is ready to cushion the eggs, protect them. Just as you, yourself, are still transitioning to exist, a monster. When you are ready, so too will it be."

"And for how long will I be the 'incubator'?"

"...Who knows, best friend? It will not be up to us, but to their own Lights. However long it takes to develop."

IT didn't even know? Well, THAT was reassuring! That could mean carrying alien eggs for years! If It truly was some alien lifeform. A question she'd hold back, for now. Especially since exhaustion swept through her, and she'd leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. A movement Pennywise addressed. "Still weary, are we? Have we not grown accustomed to the transformation, yet? In need of another hunt?" he inquired, slowly stalking closer with a scrap of fabric clutched in one hand. A blanket, Jay recognized. She rejected his offer. "A Full Moon," she stated. He'd frozen again, not quite understanding. So, she then wrote it out for him. "I've been trying to transform and hunt under all but a Full Moon, Pendragon. The absolute essential 'key' for any Lycanthrope. Whereas you feast off of fear, function best on it, I--as a she-wolf--need to get MY energy from the moon, which is best in its Full stage. The more lunar energy I can get, the better I'll be in maintaining a beastly form. Now...the first Full Moon of the new year will rise in two weeks' time. Enough of a window to let the nest settle, won't it?" Her own bright-blue eyes met his, gauging him for a response. His light smirk was enough to hint towards his favor.

"Weeks...yes. A surplus of time~ Ah...but will you be ready by then, best friend?"

Two weeks. Fourteen days to come to terms, make up her mind, on whether or not she would be at peace--ready--to become the bearer of his unborn, his...unhatched. That was one of few reasons he'd chosen to spare her, once upon a time. His would not be the only mouth to feed, she'd realized. And how was she to know just how many she would harbor? For how long? Unknown, but that didn't stop her from confirming with a nod. "I'll be ready. I just...have a few minorities to take care of, in the meantime." A stubby-clawed hand extended to accept the blanket from him, as if he'd been awaiting her input regarding his find. "Depending on how many you wish to leave in my care, we may need more of these," she admitted, thankful the scrap of fabric was but in need of cleaning, nothing more. She went about folding it neatly while he proceeded to pull out as many similar blankets as he could, dropping them haphazardly in a new pile. Jay let him pick and choose in silence, struggling with herself on how to carefully word her major question. It was something weighing on her mind for a long time, after all. Gaze wandering, the brunette soon focused on the dirty 'Freak Show' posters clinging to the exterior of his wagon. Great-Grandfather Alex was there, still portrayed as 'The Wolf Man'. The picture was hard to make out, but there was no mistaking those eyes. The words tumbled out before she could stop herself.

"Penn? What even ARE you?"

A pause, likely to process her blurted question. Something that caught him off guard, that he'd tried to play off with a jovial tone. "Silly blue jay~ You know Ol' Pennywise!"

"The 'dancing clown', I know. But that's what you like to pass yourself off as. That's not what you really are. It...it can't be. After all, the average clown would never feast on human flesh, or turn people into werewolves. They don't live in sewers, or make nests out of women's wombs. They also don't typically carry some eldritch Light, capable of rendering mortal minds nothing but a metaphorical shattered mirror. Which is why I ask: what are you?" Jay found herself recoiling at how eerily close he'd gotten, steeled nerves briefly shaken. His gaze no longer read "happy-go-lucky", but it wasn't meant to intimidate her, either. It was his turn to gauge HER reaction, his answer waiting among the silence between them. What he eventually spoke left Jay with far more questions.

"The Eater of Worlds."

Nothing more, as if she were suddenly trying his patience. However, those were answers she NEEDED. Answers she desired to think over during her two-week waiting period. So, while she had his attention, she let the questions free. "...Was my accidental bearing of your Deadlight the only reason you spared me, before? Was finding it what prompted you to see use of me?"

"...Yes."

"Were those 'uses' all that you saw of me? Did I mean nothing else, in your eyes?"

"...No. You...were to be nothing more than fodder. My sustenance."

"And when I refused to give it back, surrender it, you sought excuse to keep me alive."

"...Are you suggesting I made a mistake in sparing you?"

Jay forced herself calm upon the sensation of his gloved fingers threatening to plunge claws into her neck.

"Are you not grateful for your new purpose?" he asked, seemingly glaring her down. Grateful? Well...yes, if it meant she wouldn't find her own flesh between his monstrous teeth! Yet, even under an alien species' terms, rearing young changed everything. Agreeing to carry his young meant bringing more of his kind into the world. He wouldn't be the only one, anymore. And who was to say he would be satiated with one batch? What if there were more "nests" to come? "Yes," Jay coughed, signaling for him to ease his grasp. "I am. Grateful." His hand left her throat, her bravery growing ever slightly. "It's just...if I'm the one to do you this 'favor', I...I want it to mean something."

"It means something, blue jay. You live, survive. Provide for me your companionship, safety and security for my spawn." He lightly tapped at her collar bone. "Something only you may do, a fellow Light-Wielder."

"...Yes. But...am...would I be nothing more to you? Like...I dunno...would we ever be...mates, I guess?"

His head tilted, as if never having heard the term, before.

"Is there...I dunno, a possibility that some form of romance would, um--"

"Romance serves me no purpose, blue jay. It is a human emotion, something I have never experienced." His eyes threatened a faint shade of crimson. "Or ever will." And before she could even think to turn her head away, he caught her chin with his fingers. "That does not mean you serve me no importance, best friend. Allied, you will forever remain in my good favor--as was promised~"

Jay couldn't lie; hearing he would likely never love her hurt like the devil. Yet...it was understandable. He--IT--existed only to instill fear and feast upon it. The "poison" to balance human existence, or so It claimed itself to be. A creature of fear found no purpose, no meaning, in establishing a loving bond with a mortal, much less someone whom had previously been just a snack item on the menu. But...the pain was lessened in knowing he still saw SOME importance in her. Security, knowing he'd do nothing to harm her, threaten her existence. She would live, and he would cater to her. A "give and take" sort of arrangement, bond. Relationship, as far as they could take it. So long as she would continue to give him what he wanted, he would keep her cradled in his gloved palms, nurture her. How did that old saying go? "Don't bite the hand that feeds you"?

Still...thinking back on the night of Christmas, what they'd done together...Jay still couldn't ward off her blush. "Is...that confirmation we won't, um...ever get to..."

"Play together?" Pennywise finished, a grin blossoming. "Dearest blue jay, I do not need heartfelt emotions to ravage you~"

She couldn't ward off her telltale smile, either. "...I DID, uh...take pleasure in said union. A lie, if I didn't."

"Your reward, should you continue to 'play nice'," he reassured, playfully tapping her nose. Heh--what a screw-up of a "relationship". No romance, no ever-lasting adoration to come with being mates, but...to at least get all of the perks? His protection, companionship, in exchange for monitoring his food supply and guarding his offspring. Perhaps...it wouldn't be as bad as it originally sounded. He'd already sworn not to eat her, or feed on any of her former pack mates. Sacrifices, as far as this ancient creature was concerned. Swearing NOT to eat its desired food? That'd be like daring pizza fanatics to stray away from all pizzerias! A deal Jay would take, elated or not. So long as those she knew would remain alive, and that those "rewards" would still come her way. "Two weeks, then?" she repeated, brows raised. The jingling of bells accompanied his nod. "Give the nest more time, and perhaps..." he trailed off, absentmindedly toying with her hair. "Yes...perhaps I shall ravage you, again?" Jay scoffed out a laugh, gentle in pushing his hand away. "Then at least wait until the Full Moon. If we're agreeing to do this, we're going to do it, right."

"Of course, best friend~"

Good. She was thankful he was still in a cooperative mood, given her pressing questions. In her tired state, she wanted him to remain that way. What else could they do together that didn't involve perilous excursions into the tunnels and perverted games out of public eye? Her brain generated the memory of those posters. What did Pennywise's say? "You, uh...back when we first met, what was it you introduced yourself as? The 'Dancing Clown'?" she muttered, pursing her lips.

He confirmed with another silent nod. 

"...Can you really dance? Or was that a ruse?"

Hunched down before her, the clown couldn't resist slightly withdrawing from her. Hesitance. Jay could sense that. "We...ARE best friends, aren't we, Penn? Would you not dance with me, if I'd ever asked you to?" Further hesitance...then a gradual nod. "Would, uh...you, say, humor me? For now?" Her smirk was sheepish. He returned another grin, the brief hold of a finger. "Only if you will dance, too~" he conditioned. NOW was her turn to show hesitance. "O-oh...um. I, heh...actually..." She drew in a breath, let it out. "I don't really know how," she admitted. No shame in it; werewolves didn't dance. Her companion thankfully didn't judge her, resuming his smile as he then stood, one arm positioned behind his back, the other offering a hand to her. "Then I will teach you~" he told her. A favor to her, he figured--and something he was willing to do, as she took his hand. Seemed he still had a little more magic to weave over his willing little puppet~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jay begins to doubt if this arrangement made with Pennywise was a good idea, and decides to press her luck in finding out just what it is he is. They both decide: in two weeks' time, he will show her, and she will find out.
> 
> After all, best friends don't keep secrets from each other.
> 
> (Guess who still has to go to work, despite all the instructions to stay home? *Sarcastic celebration* Ah, well. Bills still need to be paid, and I still have the ability to get food. Not entirely a bad thing. ^^D)


	26. Spider's Nest (Mature content)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Slightly-sexual content in the chapter, below. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

The world was crumbling. Falling to pieces.

At least, Toby's was.

Memory of what he'd been forced to witness replayed in flashbacks inside his skull, keeping him awake at night. Doubt haunted him. Had that been Jay in the clown's company...or had it not? Was it just another trick? Another illusion? The guy running admission claimed he'd not seen anyone enter the maze before him. There was the chance Jay hadn't really been there. But...if she HAD been? Did she do as she had willingly? Another deal struck up with that devil? Potential answers made Toby sick to his stomach. She chose to make these "deals" just for the sake of keeping him and the others safe. What she SHOULD be doing was using her cursed powers to aid in ridding the town of this monster. The more favors she fulfilled for this clown, the less likely it would mean ever getting her back. Toby knew there was only one way.

He'd have to slay the clown, himself.

A task he couldn't ask of his friends; they'd endured too much. No. He would do this alone, if need be. In fact, thanks to his last visit with Winnie, he'd asked to borrow her book. Something she'd nearly finished reading during her recovery, but something she'd turned over, either way. Thousands of pages awaited the white-blond, but with little else to do during such restless nights, they were a welcomed distraction. And while Toby sat hunched over the book, head at rest in a palm, he couldn't help but think. The last time he'd seen Jay...she'd given him a hint. How to beat Pennywise, right? What had she said? "Overcome your own fears", was it? Not something that would come easily to Victor or Winnie. Vic couldn't stomach gore. Never could, probably never would. A fear Pennywise could play on without trying; all he had to do was devour someone in the ginger's presence. Winnie? Not only did she fear drowning, she also feared the worst befalling Nathan. The latter had come to fruition, and was something the clown still used against her.

As for Toby? Well, he hadn't a fear to speak of. Just one, and that was if he'd ever lost those closest to him. Jay, especially. Truth be told, he loved Jay. Had for the longest time, now. The only fear he'd towards her was opening up, telling her everything. After all, what if she hadn't felt the same in return? He dreaded a one-sided relationship. And what if telling her only chased her off? Would she stop being friends with him? Not a thing he wished for! While she was tending to the clown's every desire, at least she was doing so in FAVOR of their friendship. Keep the monster happy, nobody would get eaten. Probably not a truth, but it was enough to ease Toby's mind. If only just.

The Beta had plans. In finishing off the book, he carefully plotted out his next steps. Conquer his own fears was Jay's tip--something he could easily do. Pennywise's snatching of Jay only ignited the bonfire now driving Toby onward. He didn't fear the clown, no. Pennywise only made him FURIOUS, and that anger would be his weapon. Keep that anger focused, stay on point, and he would be successful in blocking out the clown's taunts. All living things, perhaps with the exception of plants, possessed a heart. Pierce it, and one would succeed in slaying the beast. Just drive a blade into Pennywise's, and he could say goodbye to that monster. However, he now had Jay--some beastly version of her, at that. There was no way she'd stand by and let Penn fall. She was brainwashed, poisoned. Probably beyond saving. But...if she wasn't...Toby didn't want her dead. She really was a werewolf, now. They had a weakness to silver. Silver bullets. He'd need to get his hands on some, as well as a gun to fire them. Not to kill her, but to wound her enough to run her off, leave the clown defenseless.

...Question was, where was he to get silver bullets? Who would believe him enough to agree to crafting them? Toby consulted the internet, relentlessly hunting about for a place that specialized in silver. Days of searching rewarded him with one, but it was a ways away from Derry. He'd have to leave town for a little while. Suited him, just fine. Anger and lack of rest dealt him enough. After finding an excuse to give to his employer to take off a couple days, Toby packed a bag, never thinking to call his friends, inform them of his decision. Just a text: 'I'll bring Jay back. Don't worry about me'.

The address was written down, plugged into his phone. His truck was soon revved, and onto the roads, he drove.

***************************************************

She jolted awake, heart pounding, palms sweating.

Nervous. Anxious. Afraid.

She sat up on the sofa of her furbished room, shaking in her own skin as she turned to the window. The sun was shining its last before the moon was to rise. The FULL moon. Two weeks had seemed so far away, at the time. Now, the night had come. Her grace-period to think it all over was up. Was she ready? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Her mind knew what she was getting into. Her body did not--hence her rattled nerves as she convinced herself to stand. Hands and feet tingled, damp with sweat, as she found herself led on out of the room and into the halls of the Neibolt house. Her body was trapped in a sort of flight response, desiring to run. The heat in her chest, her Deadlight, pulled her onward, instructing her in where to go. Her shoes' muffled steps soon turned to taps as she transitioned from carpet to hard floor, she trying for a hundredth time to dry her palms on her hoodie. Halls brought her to stairs, stairs to the basement. And in the basement, she found it. The well leading into the clown's lair.

He would be down there, this night. Waiting for her.

Her breathing became unsteady, body still longing to run for it. But her Deadlight's urging was stronger, legs still carrying her forward. She stopped just beside the well, damp hands curling their fingers over its lip. Into the darkness below, she stared. And she thought. Up to this point, she'd been preparing herself. She remembered how she'd gone back to work to inform her boss of a "family emergency", that she wouldn't know for how long she'd be away. Her boss, understanding as he always was, granted her an extended leave; told her a job would always be waiting for her when she was able to return. Not long after, she'd packed up what mattered most to her, and put her apartment up for sale. Everything that mattered to her now resided here in the same house masking Pennywise's lair--including the book she'd once sacrificed to him to save her own skin. A reminder of where she had once been, compared to where she was, now. Once potential prey, now an equal predator.

Currently jobless and living under his roof, Jay had resigned herself to this fate. All she'd to do now was take the plunge. Literally.

Chalk-white fingers ached, skin splitting as her beastly claws began to sprout. Her legs shook, feet now itching in their confines. Sweating palms left moisture on the stone of the well. If she jumped now, there would be no going back. Her body would not be her own, for a while. The brunette swallowed, took a breath. Her legs launched her up onto the well's lip, fingers dripping blood as her claws fully emerged for immediate use. She lurked forward, digging her claws into the stone as she began to scale down the well. Her mind blanked, filled with static, up until she dropped to land on her feet. Darkness filled the tunnels ahead, rendered pointless thanks to her night-vision. The heat in her chest carried her on, ever leading the way. At least, until she'd found the enormous hatch door leading into the entry chamber of his lair. It was open, a calm blue light pouring through from the other side. Jay entered, cautious in peering around. Pennywise didn't appear to be there. Jay did find sorted piles of chosen "amusements" for the hatchlings to come. Webs had been stretched from floor to wall, meant to assist the young ones in scaling walls. From above, light filtered in, illuminating the sheer number of "missing" children now floating in mid-air.

There were so many of them, Jay noticed. She flinched. Of course--Pennywise had been hoarding them. Not just for himself and his companion, but for his young. THEIR young.

"What are you?" came a mocking voice. A voice that startled Jay, body impulsively hunching its shoulders, pulling its arms close to its chest. Like a rabbit on alert. Bright blue eyes stared through her lenses, meeting the golden pair in the distant shadows. A darkened chuckle followed. "'What are you?', she asked. How silly. Silly, silly, blue jay~ Knows Ol' Pennywise all too well, she does~" He sounded jolly, but Jay knew well enough that he wasn't. Apparently, he was bothered by the fact she'd even questioned his species, before. Both knew he was something superior to humans; it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Many who have tried to suppress him paid for their actions in blood. She was to think and act carefully, for fear her own would be spilled. "It was not my intention to insult you. I asked only what you were, not what you were capable of. I know well what you can do. Never would I challenge you, otherwise," she clarified, calming the pounding in her chest. Two steps closer were taken as she continued, "If anything I said upset you, I do apologize. I never meant any ill."

Those eyes remained gold, but...somehow softened. "Oh, of course you haven't, best friend~ After all, friends don't ever mean to hurt one another. No exception now, are you?~"

Between her and the shadows that cloaked the clown, the moonlight cast down, interrupted only by the unconscious bodies hovering above. A non-existent barrier that kept the two monsters apart. From where Jay stood, she could tell something about the clown had changed. Those eyes were larger than she'd expected. He'd altered his physical size, again. Not so much as he'd done, the first time he'd dragged her down into the sewers, but...the fact that from where she stood, she had to look up to meet his gaze...? What had he made of himself, this time? Moonlight revealed him as he stepped forward, Jay stepping back in turn. He was larger, yet vastly smaller than his Giant form. Rather than maintain his usual clown form, he'd mutated it, now sporting two sets of arms and...two sets of spider-like legs. Keen eyes noted how Jay had recoiled from his emergence. He grinned. "You're afraid~"

Jay clenched her jaws, easing her tensed nerves in order to reply, "...Yes. Instinctual, I suppose." He neared a step more, Jay quick to explain herself--before this fear tempted him further. "What if I fail?" He halted. "Disappoint you? If...if I don't do enough...if they don't survive..." Her body, once warmed to the point of sweating, now turned ice cold, her sense of fear fading. It was honest, her every word. And thankfully, he believed her. "You are stronger than you think, blue jay. You will do well. They will survive," he told her. "What if I don't?" she asked, equally as worried as she was curious. Gold eyes widened from their narrowed state. "You will. I will tend to that," he reassured, once he realized she was afraid FOR him, not OF him. His next few steps were slow, he tilting his head as he peered down at her. "Are you ready?"

Her heart calmed, now that she was convinced he wouldn't be tempted to bite in reaction to her fear. Still, that didn't cease the slight shaking of her body, the chill she was sensing. Ignored for now, as she urged herself into the moonlight, beginning to strip herself of her clothing. Standing bare before the monster clown didn't faze her; he was in no way interested in her physical form. He saw it only as the vessel that would shelter his young until their birth. That little nugget helped to shift her focus to the moon, above. Her skin appeared to crawl as she temporarily bathed in its light, drawing in as much of the peaked lunar energy as she could get. The transformation came easily, pain practically non-existent as human flesh tore, her body growing beneath the skin. Blood dripped down her sides as dark fur split along her back. Limbs extended, growing more animal-like. Yet, instead of seeing the transformation through to completion, Jay mentally halted it, mid-shift. Her physical stature was larger than it had previously been, but she had not assumed full werewolf form. Fur covered most of her back and her front, arms and legs successfully transformed. What white flesh was still exposed sported drying lines of red, her ears fully altered, and face assuming most of its wolven traits. She stood still on all fours, limbs still shaking faintly from frazzled nerves. Scared, but ready for him.

Her claws sunk into the ground as she stared down, ears filling with the insect-like skittering of his proceeding movements. Ahead of her, beside her, and finally, behind her. Jaws of pointed teeth clenched, the she-wolf struggling to keep herself grounded. She imagined what they must look like, akin to the spider closing in on the much smaller fly. She tensed, feeling fabric against her rear. Her stomach sunk in, large hands securing her at the waist and shoulders. A repeating pattern of breathing in, breathing out became her distraction, her coping mechanism, as she sensed weight on her back, saliva falling in droplets on the exposed skin covering her spine. Black lips curled over sharpening teeth as a tongue lapped at said flesh. No doubt savoring what little of her fear he would allow himself, in that moment. Forgotten, what with something slimy slipping between her legs--only to bury itself inside her.

The smaller beast roared with the short-lived pain of the sudden invasion, pressure immediately building as his organ sought out entry to her womb. Instinct drove her to try an attempt to free herself. An attempt that was instantly stopped by firm hands. She felt his ruffled collar between her shoulders, his own sharpened teeth bared against the back of her neck. Saliva further slid down either side of her neck, followed by the soothing lapping of his tongue at her throat. Dark lips closed over previously-bared fangs, her abdominal muscles laxing as the pressure in her belly eased, her body adjusting. For how long they stood like this, she wasn't sure. Nothing about this changed for an extended period...until she felt something work its way through the organ within her. Pressure barely built up again, when she felt something spherical fall into her womb with a gentle plop. An egg. Of what size, she wasn't aware. All she knew was, with its implanting, her womb was made to stretch to accommodate it. Minutes after, it was repeated with a second egg. And just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The organ penetrating her withdrew, the deed done. This her first time, he did not push to overwhelm her with a full clutch--as was promised. Yet, even with their deal seen through to completion, Pennywise chose against releasing her. Instead, arms gently closed around her, loosely pinning her in some form of cuddle.

Despite what little they had just done, Jay found her body drained, even with the light of the full moon drowning them both. Aching fingers eased with her body's relaxing state. Perhaps...ONE bonding opportunity couldn't hurt? Eh...she would allow it, this time. There would never be full-blown love, so...why not take what she could get? Her head turned at the slow licking at her neck, briefly stopping him. Mere inches were all that separated their lips. Yet, rather than do as most humans would in this situation, Jay opted for the monster's approach: returning the favor by tenderly licking his cherry-red lips. She didn't even mind the slobber.

A welcome growl of his appreciation followed. The arms engulfing her body carefully lifted her, cradling her against the hybrid-clown's costumed form. Into the surrounding darkness, they withdrew, seeking recovery in the depths of the lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody else ready for this quarantine to be lifted? I sure am! Ready for the panic-shopping to stop, at that. @.@
> 
> I'm pushing through this as best I can. Been trying to cope with human-induced stress by playing Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. (Hey, it's not MY fault the stores are short on stock; PLEASE don't get ill with me, okay?)
> 
> Anyway, here's another chapter to read. Check back for further updates. My thanks for sticking by and reading!


	27. Try, Try Again

The drive home was long, granting Toby ample time to think to himself, plan out how this was to be executed. He still had a day to drive over, head inside the old house to confront Jay before taking down the space beast in possession of her. Perhaps then, Jay would be set free. Oh, but...what if she weren't? Then he'd have a furious she-wolf after him. What was worse, he wasn't confident he would be able to take her down. After all, his hatred was for the clown, not for his secret object of affection. Toby fought back his anxiety, not wishing to wreck his truck. There was a chance he'd have to come to terms with the thought of an angry werewolf hunting him down to feast on his flesh and blood.

...He...may be okay with that, if he wasn't able to shoot Jay dead. Better to die by a friend than by a monster.

In signaling to pass by another driver, Toby heard the metal box on his right slide across the seat. Locked, it contained the revolver he'd just purchased, along with the four silver bullets he'd had made. Best to not waste them, as they'd cost him a small fortune. This wouldn't be his only weapon, of course. Under the seats, he'd stored a hunting rifle, a gift from when he was younger, and a large knife--crafted with silver. The guns were probably best reserved for the she-wolf; whatever ranged weaponry would keep her at bay. He would just have to ensure none of those shots would be fatal.

The welcome sign to signal the return to Derry passed by, almost a blur to the white-blond driving the truck. He tensed, again. Wonderful. Soon, he'd be face-to-fang with the guard dog behind Neibolt's door. His concern was, would he be ready by the time his truck was parked?

His radio was but a dull hum, turned so low, he could barely hear the lyrics. Almost muted, so that he could hear himself think. At least, it was what he'd planned on--until he got a second look around the town. Despite the receding Winter, the melting snow, and the fact that it was still brightly sunny, Derry appeared so...was "lifeless" the word? There was color, there was warmth, but...the people who walked about and drove along the streets? They looked so haunted. Dead to the world. Few even dared to say "hello" as they passed by. Many were red-eyed, grieving. Toby pinned exactly why. These were people whom knew the missing children. Children who were likely dead, by now. The book had told Toby all he needed to know about this...thing. Pennywise. Whatever It called itself. It fed primarily on children--which explained why so many of them were gone, now.

He had to guess that was why It disappeared for 27 years, per cycle. Gives the inhabitants time to renew their numbers.

Except for this cycle, a brainwashed werewolf would be left to guard the "pen", if he couldn't take her down. That, and whatever new life the two monsters had bore. Toby could sense his hunch was right; that they'd already proceeded with their plans for a full nest. Shameful, but he resigned himself to the fact. In his unexplained fury, he'd shoved a once close friend off the side of a bridge, when she was doing all she could to help them. Protect them. His little act of betrayal may have been the deciding factor to lead Jay into agreement to bear and guard the clown's offspring. Knowing what all the alien was capable of, knowing what all a werewolf was capable of...one could only imagine what a hybrid of the two would be capable of!

People soon vanished from the streets, the further Toby drove. Business buildings transitioned to homes, growing fewer and fewer in quantity as his truck neared Neibolt Street. A hard location to find, since nature had been allowed to reclaim it. Vines and shrubs had sprouted up around the sign, almost masking the entrance to said road. New trees were growing in, hiding the decaying homes that had long been abandoned. Trashed shoes hung by their laces from what remained of the power poles, some unused cables long snapped. Again, an ideal location for a horror movie. It didn't look as though anyone had wandered this street in decades. All the houses looked the same, boarded up, overgrown with vines. The Beta was reminded of the last time he and his friends had walked along the sidewalk, shivering in the Winter landscape, barely prepared to face the horrors that awaited them in the Neibolt house.

He would be ready, this time. Either to rescue Jay or accept his fate as the monsters' next meal. They'd have young to feed, if he should fail. Nonetheless, Toby stifled a shiver, focused again on the house in question. How surprised he was to find Winnie's vehicle parked across the street from his destination, she and Victor waiting idly by for his arrival. He was genuinely confused. How did they know he'd be here? His truck slowed to a stop in front of her jeep, engine shutting off before the truck's owner climbed out. "What are you guys doing here?" was Toby's immediate first question.

"Waiting on you," was Winnie's immediate response.

"What, did you think we would let you run back in there by yourself? You'd be lunch meat in no time," Victor added. The white-blond stared between the pair, uncertain of what to say. Go or stay. "Leave this to me", or "Stay close". "...You guys know what you'll be getting into, should you step foot in there, again," he told them. He looked first to Victor. "That outdated jester knows how to make your stomach turn. You think you can handle a little running blood? A rotting liver?"

Victor frowned, but just for a moment. "I've been trying to cope, at the very least in watching surgical procedures on TV during dinner. Lost my appetite several times, doing that. But...I've developed my own method of combating the effects. Just to be safe, I didn't show up on a full stomach," he stated, habitually pushing his glasses along the bridge of his nose. Toby spared him a glance longer before turning then to the group's only other female. "What about you? They know you still feel guilty over Nathan," he prompted. She nodded, drawing in a breath. "To an extent...I guess it WAS my fault that I let what happened to Nathan, happen. I should have been there for him, to watch him. Maybe if I had been, I could have stopped him from wandering into the woods. But I can't change the past; nobody can. I can't...I'm not going to cling to that guilt, anymore. It's what held me back from supporting you guys, and...I'll need to be just as strong if we're going to save Jay. Otherwise, she's no better off than my brother was. I won't sit by while another of our pack is taken away," she confirmed.

"Are you well enough to do this?" wondered a concerned Toby.

"Still up and breathing. So long as I can still do both those things..." Winnie nodded.

A part of him still longed to tell them to go, leave the task with him. They might have thought themselves ready, but...were they really? If some meat-puppet of Nathan emerged with a still-beating heart in hand, would they both stand their ground? Run for it? Would Victor just be ill, Winnie pass out? No. No. That was no way to think of the pack, Toby. Wolves work together, and their leader was in peril. If they were to succeed, they would need to stick together. Act as one. "Have you any other weapons? Anything we could use to our advantage, down there?" Toby spoke in question, deciding it best to bring them along. To this, Victor nodded in confidence. "Brought various tools with me, this time. A few small explosives, bear spray for our mind-controlled friend, in case you still didn't want her dead. If that can be avoided..." the ginger shrugged. "And I snuck Dad's old shotgun. Something I'm going to need to bring back with us, if I'm not to land in serious trouble. Nothing's worse than facing the wrath of my folks," Winnie tacked on, gesturing back to the jeep.

After a moment to consider this, Toby permitted himself a nod. "Alright. So...where do we start? What's the plan?"

"We go for the basement," Winnie began, recalling what she'd learned from the book. "That's where we'll find the well leading into the monster's lair. We STICK TOGETHER, this time. No running after Jay." A hesitant pause, then a sigh. "Or chasing after long-dead little brothers. We arm ourselves for a confrontation with Jay, first. I suspect she'll be the first line of defense, a distraction to keep us away from the basement level."

"Nobody shoots her down, though. That understood? Wound her enough to run her off, if we must. But the goal is to bring her back, alive," Toby stressed. The other two emitted their small noises in agreement. "We find the basement, enter the lair, resist Jay the best we can. We reach the final boss, give him everything we've got." The Beta paused, a hand reaching for the silver blade at the back of his belt. "But I deliver the killing blow."

"What? Why you?" Victor asked, as equally shocked as he was confused.

"...For good reasons, Vic. I can put to bed all these nightmares, but only if I finish It off." Toby looked again to Winnie. "The book also mentioned eggs. That thing's offspring. Should we expect to find some, down there?"

That, Winnie suddenly wasn't confident about. "...Honestly? I don't know. Probably. If Jay's too far gone, then...perhaps she's agreed to protect his hatchlings. It was said they were easily destroyed, though, so I would guess we shouldn't waste any ammo if we don't have to."

"Okay. So we'll reserve the firepower for the monsters. The immediate threats. And once it's done, how will we get out? What's our escape plan?"

"That thing's lair connects to the sewer system. We can access the maintenance tunnels to get back out. The ones I know of for sure lead directly to the Barrens."

"...Right. And you're both sure you can do this?"

"Whatever will put a stop to the organs turning up in my trunk," Victor mumbled, cringing.

"And the haunts of my brother's memory," Winnie included, just wanting for it all to go back to normal. Well, as normal as it would get. It was enough to convince Toby. This time, the pack would stand, united. First step was to arm themselves. Toby surrendered his hunting rifle to Winnie, the shotgun left in Victor's hands. The revolver and the silver bullets, Toby kept, along with the silver blade. When all weaponry was distributed, Victor moved to grab his bag from the jeep. A pair of bolt cutters was withdrawn, clamped over the chains keeping the house's gates closed. It took the combined strength of both boys, but they were successful in severing the chains. There wasn't anything beyond to scare them off the property. Entry into the house, however...

The trio knew the windows were boarded up, the front door locked tight. There wouldn't be any way to enter without making a little noise.

Noise was exactly what Victor and Toby counted on.

"If we must break in," Victor began, digging into a pocket of his bag. His hand withdrew the small explosives he'd spoken about, ones leftover from earlier years of the boys' reckless, youthful misadventures. Grand times, all those former Independence Days... Handing them to Toby, Victor removed a small book of matches, giving them to the Beta, as well. The trio retreated only briefly as the explosives were planted, lit. The resulting explosion was loud enough to alert the entire neighborhood, if there had been any neighbors to disturb. No longer held secure by its lock, the door easily swung open, the remaining pack readying themselves to enter.

Darkness was all to greet them. Yet, the short-lived sound of their intrusion was, without a doubt, enough to alert the beasts hiding inside of their presence. They wouldn't be alone, for long.

The trio tensed, grips tight on their respective weapons. Toby was "next in command", so they would not enter until he gave the word. The Beta expelled a calming breath. "Pardon the noise. Couldn't find our invitations," he muttered, privately all too willing to witness the horror on the clown's face. "Don't poke the bear", they'd always said. He was certain to make Pennywise see exactly why.

His blade in hand, Toby took the first step inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wolfe Pack reunites to try, try again. They think themselves ready, this time. But are they?
> 
> Not much to update you guys on, other than a few changes/new developments. Got a coworker temporarily out of work, since his wife just had their baby, and my mother's putting her house up for sale, so...that may mean taking time outside of work to go and grab any of my last-minute things. Couldn't bring it all with me when I moved, so she'd been holding it for me. Looks like it's time to post some of those goodies up on Ebay. DX
> 
> Honestly not sure when the next update will be, or to which story. Keep checking back, and my thanks again for reading!


	28. Calm Before the Storm

She was dreaming, again. Specks of light illuminated the darkness, here and there. Like sunlight through tree branches. She could not see anything, couldn't sense anything. All she knew was that, again, she was stuck on all fours. She looked down, and this time, could see herself.

Furry, black arms led down to paw-like hands, digits not quite fully formed enough for normal hand function. Her claws were small, smaller than they usually were. She glanced to her shoulder, finding fabric. Clothing. Familiar, unfamiliar, she wasn't sure. Her monster form--perhaps her inner beast. But where was she? Nothing about her surroundings was known. There were brief glimpses of light, but...otherwise, nothing. And then, she saw it.

A simple red balloon, drifting in from nowhere. Bobbing about, playfully. Curious, she found herself nearing it, steps silent. It didn't float away, didn't rise out of reach. Instead, a white hand shot from the darkness, snatching the balloon's string. She halted, feeling foolish that she hadn't expected such to happen. Of course the object belonged to someone; why else would it seem familiar to her? Hints of bright blue pierced the dark, and she glanced to meet another set of eyes. Instinct drove her to growl, initially. The fur on her back rose. Another white hand--another gloved hand--emerged from the dark, palm held overturned to urge her closer.

"Do not feel threatened," It's voice instructed. "It's not you I hunt. Why, you and I? We're one in the same, didn't you know? Come, come~ No need to be so rude to an old friend~"

'Old friend'. 'One in the same'? It spoke the truth; they WERE one in the same, once. Back when It possessed all of It's lights, before It lost one as It fell to Earth. As if paying a toll. And her great-grandfather had been the person manning the station. Her shoulders shifted as she proceeded closer, still never producing a sound. His hand turned over, waiting her permission to spread out his fingers, let them come into contact with her maned head. She did not bite, did not snarl. It felt...comfortable. Much like peering into the mirror, reaching out to touch one's reflection. There was something soothing about those gloved digits running up her short snout, clench the fur at the top of her head. She looked again, met those eyes, blinked.

And suddenly, there was a hairy beast before her, peering at her as she let a hand rest on its head. There was nothing human about this beast, its flesh as black as its fur. The muzzle was short, but filled with jagged teeth, so long that their tips poked out from the lips that sheathed them. She could not control her limbs, unable to move as she stared this creature down. There wasn't fear, no hatred for what she saw. Like staring down a big cat one had raised by hand. The danger was there...but so was trust. She would not hurt it, and it would not hurt her. And she realized...she was looking through It's eyes!

All at once, the darkness faded, her eyes opening to take in the view of the underground ceiling. There was moisture on her forehead. An arm rose, chalk-white hand brushing away a water droplet. Her other hand felt, something wire-like meeting her palm. Bright blue eyes fell. There was webbing under her. Stretched between stone supports to create a sort of hammock. She didn't feel fear, no panic. Just a sense of calm, of wholeness. And the residual ache in her belly from her tightened womb. Dreaming. It had just been a dream. Her lungs expanded, filling with air as she let both hands rise to her stomach. She expected to find a rounding swell, some physical sign to confirm that she was, in fact, carrying It's spawn.

Her belly was flat, save for a little abdominal fat. They were there, though; there was no mistaking the constriction in her uterus.

She exhaled, giving in to the desire to look herself over. Her hands were first, still a chalk-white, nails now small, stubby claws. Nothing new, there. What WAS new, however, was the outfit she was now wearing. Gone were her hoodie and jeans, her sneakers. Replacing them now was a midnight-blue long-sleeved shirt, the cuffs of the shirt shredded into dangling strips of fabric. The matching pants stretched down to solid-black shoes. She attempted to sit up, feeling something tumble down her upper chest. Pale-yellow fabric cascaded from the shirt's collar, reaching around even to the back of the neck. Ironically, it was reminiscent of a certain clown's frilly collar...

"Not what I remember wearing," she muttered as she continued to inspect the costume.

Her body startled, jolting beneath the flesh at a distant sound. Light tapping, like a child's footsteps. She glanced, taking in the lair's surroundings. A little light filtered in from above, revealing a child's shoe as it stepped into view. A part of her almost expected those shoes to lead up into a yellow raincoat, but alas. This was not Georgie. Instead, another small boy emerged from shadow. His clothes were ripped and bloodied, four deep gashes lining his throat. One of his cheeks had been torn open, as if he'd been attacked by a savage animal. In dead hands, he held a book. "I can't sleep. W-will you read me to bed?" he mumbled, staring up at her with watery eyes. She felt her throat clench, but just for a second. Johnny. It was Johnny. She sighed, falling back in the hammock. "That one wasn't yours, and you know it," she frowned.

The boy managed a smile, wandering ever closer as his appearance shifted. THERE was Georgie. "Would you help me find my boat, then? Bill will kill me if I don't find it."

She stared blankly, a hand at her forehead. Eventually, her own smile graced her face. "Never thought I'd see YOU again, munchkin."

"...I got lost. Sorry," he excused, sheepishly. "I found this." Again, he offered up the book, and Jay couldn't resist looking it over. There were massive bite marks in the cover. "Got lost in my bedroom?" she playfully accused, aware of what book this was. "Georgie" said nothing as she then sat up, shifting to swing her legs over the edge of the hammock. "I've been holding onto that as a reminder," she explained.

"Reminder? Of what?" the 'boy' muttered.

Jay nibbled at her bottom lip, "Where I was...versus where I am, now."

The book could have easily been an arm or leg, way back when. Tread carefully, or the next marks to scar would be in HER flesh.

"There was a time our clown friend had tried his hardest to see me eaten," she continued, fingers gently pressing at the flesh of her lower belly.

"Like he did me?" Georgie oddly smirked, holding up the sudden stub of what used to be his arm. At that, Jay giggled. Morbid, but funny. "Sort of, except that MY bite would have taken off my head, if I hadn't thrown the book in my place," she smiled back. Short-lived, naturally. Again, she sighed. "I'm sorry I hit you with it--and I know I've already apologized for it, many a time over." Georgie shrugged, "Couldn't have hurt as much as being pushed off a bridge."

He had to bring that up...?

The brunette stared him down in silence. "...I'm not giving you any 'sugar' in boy form," she finally stated, getting to her feet. As she stood, she felt a skirt of fabric fall to the back of her knees. She looked down in the instant, finding the same pale-yellow fabric reach from the front of her waist to lengthen and hang at the back of her legs. Flowing in the same manner of an animal's tail. Specifically, a wolf's. "What, were you not a fan of the hoodies?" she picked, watching white-gloved hands extend around her to press their fingers at her stomach. She felt his collar at the back of her neck, his head resting atop her own. "Nothing befitting of my best friend, blue jay~" Pennywise commented in turn.

"...So you picked a costume with similar circus vibes?"

Silence.

"Do you not wish to be a part of the circus?" His tone sounded pouty. She grinned, either way. "So long as it means I won't be on your menu." She turned as his hold on her loosened, meeting his bright gaze with her own. He appeared rather...happy. "Where is it you keep sneaking off to when you're not 'at home'?" she asked. His grinning expression never blinked as he responded simply, "Well, it was passed lunch time~" The she-wolf noted the blood that had yet to wash off his costume, putting two and two together. "Out eating, hm? Better have brought back some leftovers for--" She cackled as she moved her retreating form from the clown's hands, her own shielding her belly. "My dude, seriously! I'm still sensitive, there," she 'scolded', wincing at the tightness in her abdomen. "Our offspring?" the clown finished her interrupted statement, ignoring her 'scolding' altogether. "But of course I did! All afloat when the spiderlings are ready~"

"Pups," she corrected. Confusion struck her clownish companion. "If they're coming out of me, they're 'pups'. Y'know, she-wolf?" she clarified.

"They were eggs that I implanted in such an arachnid form, were they not?"

"Yes. But I'm the one carrying them now, letting them thrive off of me, MY Light. I, a female werewolf. So they're pups. Fight me."

Both monsters "glared" one another down, a dispute that was quickly won when Penn let an eye wander. "Such a defensive hybrid. But 'pups', it is~" he yielded, at least satisfied that she was accepting of the "gifts" he'd given her. A willing werewolf was far better than a rebellious one. "Although," Jay suddenly spoke, proceeding to pick up the bitten book, earlier abandoned. "It does bring up an earlier concern. We might have spoken of it before, but...when my great-grandfather had a child, his Light--this Light--was passed through the generations of my family tree. How are we sure my Light won't be passed on to one of the offspring? If I don't still possess it, I won't have what I need to keep them safe while you're--"

"You will not lose your Deadlight, blue jay. Pennywise had awoken it, hadn't he? It was made to live only inside YOU."

"But it was 'alive' while a part of my great-grandpa. And yet, it still was passed on to his child."

"Alive? Yes...but it was not made to live within him. All but a mere host to it, he was. A carrier. Like the beating heart within a body; alive, but not under its host's control."

"And how are you so sure? You hadn't ever lost a Light to a human until my great-grandpa found it. Then it was passed along a branch of my tree."

Her petty concerns would normally have been infuriating to one with such established ground-rules. Normally. But in It's current mood, the clown only found her humorous. "Have you forgotten?" he asked, a momentary tap to his head. "Your family bore offspring as their bodies were intended. But with you, you chose to carry my spawn not with egg cells--"

"But with literal eggs," she finished, it finally clicking.

"Yes~ And in you, they will incubate, create Deadlights of their own. How long that will take, only their Lights will know."

"Which...could take years, at most." Her lips pursed, shoulders slouching.

"Only a small burden, best friend. In return for your patience and their protection, I shall do for you a favor..."

The brunette slightly narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, a brow quirked.

"...and extend your natural life another hundred years. Perhaps longer~"

He could do that? "You could do that?" she asked, repeating her mental question aloud. The sly smile he then sported should have been all the confirmation she needed. "Oh, never be mistaken, blue jay: there may be a Light inhabiting your body..." A gloved hand rose, held as if offered to her. Warmth instantly filled and spread through her rib cage, a friendly reminder. "...But it will always belong to me."

Her body's response of having the fine hairs on the back of her neck rise pulled a smirk at her lips, and she gently rubbed at her chest to cease the glowing. "Hahhh...an eye for an eye, a fang for a fang. I look after both you and the pups, but you must do the same for me. Fair's fair." The book was held closer to her body as he approached, taking her free hand in his. "Fair's fair~ So long as you won't abandon your clown, leave poor Pennywise all alone," he played in a faint beg. He need even ask? Stubby claws dug their tips in his glove as she interlocked her fingers with his. "Never crossed my mind, Pendragon. Simply not what a proper Alpha would do~" She pulled his hand to her lips, planting a respectful peck.

The noise came first. An indescribable bang, as if a distant gun or cannon had been fired. They both felt a sense of alertness, both aware their refuge, their sanctuary, had been breached. Someone was invading. The book Jay held was dropped, the she-wolf turning toward the source of the sound as both monsters' eyes transformed in warning. "Uh oh, company," she slightly frowned, a hateful growl emitting from her companion. He'd be quick to vanish, challenge the threat at their door. However, she stopped him, claw tips digging in his wrist.

"Wait. Let me. Please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a nutshell? Jay's finally accepting of her new role, of which side of the board she's now to play on. After all, she's a developing mother-to-be, and will find loyal companionship in Pennywise, but only if she's willing to do as he requests. Suppose we can officially say the old Jay Wolfe is dead.
> 
> This update's WAAAYYY overdue; should have had this posted days ago. Instead, I'd chosen to update "Revival", putting off OLHS's update until now. (Really should stop procrastinating, so much...)
> 
> Anywho, another confrontation's on the wind. We'll see how well the remaining Wolfe Pack members will fare against a fully-converted werewolf in the Neibolt house. (It's not going to be pretty.)


	29. Friendly Fire

The floor creaked below each of their very steps.

The air around them was silent, carrying not a single sound.

Windows were blocked, covered, leaving many of the rooms within in total darkness.

The rooms in which they COULD still peer were mostly empty, housing the occasional couch or chair. One room had a broken TV. A little light filtered in from the corner of a cracked window, most of it boarded up. Day was ending. They would need to do this fast, if not to be left fighting in the dark of night. Toby listened for the confirming steps behind him, just to reassure himself that his "pack mates" hadn't secretly turned tail and run for it. With Winnie armed with their only non-lethal weapon against Jay, the boys decided to sandwich her between them, Victor walking on at her back. In its holster, Toby's silver revolver was loaded with its four special bullets--the pack's final attempt to scare Jay off. They would be enough to seriously wound her, but not kill her--if Toby's aim was kept controlled.

Aim for a shoulder, an arm, a leg. But NOT for her head or her heart. The idea was to get her to retreat, leave the path open into the heart of the monsters' lair. THEIR target was the clown, Pennywise. Jay was whom they sought to rescue.

The trio wandered into the barren room that was once meant to be the living room. There wasn't much the room offered, beyond an empty bookshelf along one wall, a less-than-desirable couch in the room's center. Victor pulled various flashlights from his backpack, passing them around as they prepared to enter the dark room. Not a one made a sound, spoke a word, but Toby somehow knew the layout of the house was subject to change, under the influence of the circus monster inhabiting it. A "living maze", it would soon become. "We have to head for the basement levels. Win, do you remember how to get there?" Toby suddenly spoke, nearly scaring himself with the abrupt shattering of the silence.

"Unfortunately," the remaining female nodded, recalling how she'd followed Not-Nathan down the house's lower floors.

"Then you'll have to point the way," the white-blond stated, aiming his beam of light toward the next available doorway. She would not lead, but talk them through the maze? She could do that much. But before that, they expected to bump into their former Alpha. Jay would not disappoint.

Flames flickered to life in various corners of the room, candles somehow manifesting themselves. Above, a web-covered chandelier hummed as its bulbs sparked and illuminated. The scent of something burning filled the room, a fireplace previously hidden in the darkness lighting with an orange blaze. Not enough light to chase away the shadows, but there was enough to notice how the room around them had changed. There were more doorways, more halls stretched beyond and leading who knew where. Illusions, no doubt. Mind-tricks meant to perplex, confuse. Maybe even separate.

"You must have gotten lost," a new voice suddenly spoke up from one of these doorways. Flashlights were turned to this hall, that hall. They couldn't spot the guilty party, but they instantly knew whom it was. "But y'know, that's okay. I can show you the door, one last time." The brunette showed herself, emerging from a doorway on the far end of the room, standing just out of range of the fireplace's light. The trio silently took in their Alpha's appearance, failing to recognize anything about her. Pointed ears, dead-white skin, black lips parting to expose sharpening teeth, an outfit they knew she would never wear in the past. Her gaze was suspicious, unforgiving. "You really shouldn't have come back. He's less than tolerant of intruders, much less uninvited guests," the she-wolf stated, still harboring bitter feelings towards her former friends.

Toby was quick to reply, still clinging to the dying hope he could save her. "We aren't going without a fight, Jay. You taught us never to give up on a pack mate, and we're not starting, now. C'mon, the old you's still in there. It's not too late to change your mind." He despised the short laugh she emitted.

"Change my mind...honestly, do you really think I could blend in with society? Looking like THIS?" Two lightly-clawed hands motioned at her person.

"It's only because of the clown. HE'S doing this to you, turning you into a monster. Something you don't have to be." The Beta dared a step or two closer. "Let us save you, Jay. Come back to us." 'Come back to me' was a thought he never spat out in words. He should have.

The beast in human flesh only stared them down, gauging the weaponry they'd toted with them. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this before it sinks in. I CHOSE this to protect the three of you. I couldn't keep you guys safe, the way I was. I was just a human; no stronger than any of you. I couldn't protect Nathan, the youngest of our 'pack'. And considering how easily he could get to all of YOU? Everything he did to you? Have we all forgotten how he'd nearly drowned Winnie?" The memory of being trapped in Victor's flooding kitchen flashed before Jay's eyes, followed by the imagery of Nathan's half-eaten corpse. She shook her head, just enough to rid herself of the scenes playing behind closed eyes. "No, I...I couldn't. I couldn't put you all through that, again. Through any worse. This was the only way I could spare you: by sacrificing myself. Offer myself up."

"And now, look at you. No better off than the monster that took you," bit Toby, anger flaring with his belief that she wouldn't be switching sides.

Sarcasm and a false look of thought claimed Jay's face. "Hm, quite right. Skull-white, developing a taste for human flesh. But hey, at least HE didn't push me off a bridge."

Toby's breath hitched, guilt hot in his stomach. Especially when he heard Winnie gasp behind him, Victor only clearing his throat.

"He also didn't bruise my abdomen," Jay continued, Toby hearing Winnie mutter a shocked "What?!". He felt Win's free hand tug his jacket. "You punched Jay?!" she lowly hissed, the Beta not willing to answer. Even now, he wasn't proud of what he'd done. Hence why he hadn't told Winnie, why he had Victor swear not to tell her. "Instead, he was always there to lift me up when you knocked me down," the she-wolf said, never stepping further into the room. "Matter of fact, he was the one who told me it was probably a bad idea to meet you boys on the bridge, try to crawl back to you. I didn't want to believe him, y'know. Really, I didn't. 'Cause I thought you guys would understand what I was doing, why I was choosing to side with him. All I wanted was to spare you...my pack." Bright-blue eyes flickered between the trio's faces, locking with Toby's enraged ones. He was calm on the surface, but those eyes...there was no masking his rage.

"Is that all? I mean, I for one say, 'by all means, go ahead'. Any chance of NOT having to face down that clown of yours is a win in my book. Hey--maybe you could lead us to him? Maybe let us talk it out?" Victor suggested, ignored as Alpha and Beta glared at each other. Suggestions that were immediately struck down as the she-wolf backed herself into the darkness of the doorway behind her. "Forget it, Vic. The traitor's picked It over her own pack," Toby grumbled to the ginger, eyes never leaving Jay's figure. The air in the room only got warmer.

"It IS my pack," was Jay's only reply.

What shot forth from the doorway this time wasn't Jay, but a semi-hulking beast of black fur. White skin shaped a beastly face and bat-like ears, pale-yellow irises burning among sclera of pitch-black. Black lips parted, displaying large fangs. The creature lunged forward on all fours, launching itself at the frightened three. Its sudden emergence ripped a cry from Winnie, Victor quick to push her out of the way as he and Toby ducked last-second to avoid the werewolf's poised claws. Across wooden floor boards, the beast dragged her claws, stopping her momentum as she slid around to face them. She caught sight of Winnie readying her rifle, preparing to fire the first shot. One of the boys shouted at her, and the gun fired. The bullet struck Jay's upper arm, but was easily shaken off. Jay lunged again, leaving Winnie no time to ready her weapon. She gasped, barely managing to step out of range of the she-wolf's claws. Victor wasn't so fortunate, for as Winnie dodged the attack, he'd stepped in to intercept the beast, the shotgun aimed. He never got the chance to fire, black claws ripping into his arm and throwing him aside. The beast instantly focused back to Winnie, whom had taken refuge behind one of the room's few pieces of furniture. Behind the sofa, she'd knelt, trying to prep her rifle. Twitching fingers slid off of the necessary pieces. It was only readied in the split-second it took Jay to throw aside Winnie's "shield". The young woman turned to find gleaming fangs and widened pale-yellow eyes, then whipped her weapon around to pull the trigger.

Her rapid swing caused the second shot to merely graze Jay's throat, a little blood spurting out from the resulting wound. The she-wolf flinched, but wasn't deterred. On all fours, she lurched, grabbing Win's gun in one clawed hand. It was torn from her hands, held like a club as it was brought up over Jay's head. The woman barely escaped the blow as the gun slammed down on the floor, snapping like a cheap toy. Defenseless, Winnie could only scurry back away from the approaching monster. Jay stalked slowly but ever closer, bared fangs held shut in a wet snarl. Yet, before she could strike, dig into the woman's chest and snatch up her heart, a covered window on Jay's left shattered, spewing glass and the dying light of the outside world everywhere. The sound that accompanied it...it was like an explosion. Loud, abrupt. Sudden enough that it rang in the werewolf's ears. Jay shook her head, turning beastly eyes to the source. Victor remained on the floor, favoring his bleeding arm. In his functioning hand, he held the shotgun, his aim poor without the use of both limbs. His expression told her he wasn't sure he knew what he was doing.

Jay shifted course, letting Winnie retreat to safety as she stalked toward Victor. He could not ready his weapon again, not without using his injured limb. Abandoning it, he attempted to scoot backward, his good hand reaching into the bag on his back. He had to find it--wherever it was stashed! The lycanthrope neared, snarling jaws parting. Quickening herself, she crawled over the ginger, thrusting readied fangs at his throat...

...Which he stopped in his hurry to withdraw his bear spray, spouting a burst of orange into her eyes.

Screeching out in pain, the furry beast reared back, hands desperate to wipe away the relentless substance. Seeing opportunity, Victor rolled to his good hand and knees, quick to crawl away. Toby, meanwhile, saw the opposite. On the sidelines all this time, he ran forward to meet Jay, silver blade flipped into position as he jumped on her back. He plunged it in-between her shoulders, just missing her spine. Her beastly cries worsened, her movements as equally frantic as they were enraged. Smoke rose from where the blade was planted, Toby doing his level best to hang on, drive the blade in further. He expected for the blade option to drain Jay's strength, reduce her to nothing more than a wounded animal, crying out to be spared. He counted on dragging her down to a level of reasoning, convince her she'd chosen the wrong side, and to fight WITH them, not against them. What he DIDN'T count on was for the werewolf's rampage to begin hammering holes in the house's weakened floor boards. Every slam of her large hands punched more and more holes in the rotting boards, gradually causing them to collapse, plummet to the lower floors. Somewhere, he heard Victor yelling, ordering Winnie to find the shotgun, aim it at Jay. He didn't count on Winnie fumbling the gun in her hurry, miss the werewolf altogether, and blast through the floor. Toby also didn't count on Jay somehow managing to rip both him and the blade from her back, or for her to accidentally launch him through one of the large holes--she falling along with him!

Darkness met them on all sides, their only company as they fell. For how long or how far down, Toby couldn't determine. But his back eventually did hit something solid, the air knocked out of him. His senses, too. For a moment, he couldn't hear, couldn't really see, despite his rapid blinks to correct his vision. There was light above, distant cries of his friends on the upper floor. He wanted to call back, tell them he was okay. His lungs weren't cooperating.

On his left, he heard shifting, growling. Jay had survived, as well. Feeling returned to his body, and he realized he wasn't still holding his knife! Where had it gone?! His heart pounded, his throat dry. Lungs still struggling to draw in air, he looked to his side, expecting to find the werewolf up and ready to tear the flesh off his skull. The light above revealed her to him, but failed to reveal their new surroundings. Jay was up, perched on all fours. Her body shook, a clawed hand pawing away the remnants of the bear spray. Tears had been streaming down her beastly face, continuing to spill as she fought to open her eyes. One could only imagine the guilt Toby felt just then, as when he looked at her, he didn't lock gazes with monstrous eyes.

He saw hers. He saw JAY'S.

And he saw the hurt that now filled them. The same hurt that filled them, the day he'd pushed her off the bridge. The same hurt he saw when he couldn't pull her out of the manhole in the parking lot. When he couldn't save her.

Common sense had temporarily gone as well, it seemed, as he wordlessly reached for her, praying he could still reach her. 'I'm sorry', he thought, as if expecting her to read his mind. 'I'm so sorry...don't...don't go! Please! Come back! Jay, come back to me!'

But at his raised palm, she flinched, crawled away. Wettened fangs were bared, a threatening growl pouring from behind them.

"I can save you," was what he struggled to say. But without air, his voice would not come. Mentally, he pushed himself, urged himself to turn over on his stomach, try to drag himself to her. All he could hear then were the drips of her falling tears, the distant shouting from his friends, above. The floor under him was damp, cold, rock-solid. As if he were in a cave. Mush gathered under his nails as he continued to drag himself, coughing as he finally began to draw in oxygen. His attempts were useless, as all Jay did was back away, give him a parting snarl.

He could do nothing but watch her as she retreated, running off into the dark.

Above, his friends' cries went silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaahhhh...FINALLY had a little time to type! And heck, was this difficult to put my little pack through...! Friends aren't supposed to fight! DX
> 
> Suppose the next update's going to check back with Win and Vic, get them down on Toby's level. And after? Might be time to meet the head of this circus.
> 
> ...But first, there may be another update to "Revival", depending on what time frame I've got available. Thanks for reading, either way! ^.^


	30. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MINOR WARNING: Gross zombie shenanigans ahead!

Neither of them could spot Toby from their place on the upper floor, even with the aid of their flashlights.

They both tried countless times to call to him, getting not a word in response. Both hoped for the best that the worse-case scenario hadn't just become reality. Their "Beta" was still alive. And probably needed their help. "We'll need to get down there, find him," Winnie spoke first, turning away from the drop in the floor when Victor shut off his light. "Do you remember how?" the ginger questioned, at rest on both knees. The Pack's remaining female couldn't resist a frown, the growing sense of doubt. DID she remember how? As it were, she only recalled little bits and pieces from where she'd followed her brother's imposter down the darkened halls. Few times, she'd nearly slipped and fallen on various stairs, so downward was her best guess.

"Down, I suppose. But which doors we had taken, I can't say for certain," she eventually admitted.

"Well, the house is only so big--no matter what the clown decides to do with it. With enough aimless wandering, I'm sure we'll get where we need to go," Victor sarcastically replied, unknowingly bearing his weight down on his injured arm as he attempted to push himself to stand. His telltale hiss was enough to trigger Winnie. One of her own hands shot forward to grab his uninjured wrist. "Oh, no. We're not going about any 'aimless anything' with you slowly bleeding out," she began to fuss, forcing him to sit so that she could dig through his backpack. "Did you remember to pack any first aid kits?"

'Oh, here we go,' Victor could only think to himself as he groaned. "I dunno. Do you really need to mother us every time something bad happens?"

"Well, with Jay out of the picture for the while being, SOMEONE'S gotta watch you boys." Winnie withdrew a few medical supplies, beginning to clean and dress his wounds. "I swear, if not for me, you both would have lost your heads, long ago."

She instructed him to help roll up his sleeve, a task she urged him to do with a smack to his shoulder. "Heck, woman, ya have to be so violent while you heal people?" he joked, wincing as he proceeded to do as told. A joke she'd responded to with a faint smirk, "Only with the bone-headed. Which, by the way, you and Toby clearly are. Frankly, I'm convinced it was because of you two that Nathan turned out the way he did."

"What, are you trying to say now that we've been a bad influence?"

"One of you gave him his 'White Shark' for Christmas."

"...Heheh...uh, guilty."

Winnie popped him on the head with the roll of gauze. "That explains a lot, then! You guys are too reckless."

"Tsk! Am not."

"You jumped out in front of a feral beast."

"...Occupational hazard?"

"Hm. Well, just don't do that again. It's bad enough we've lost our faithful pack leader. We go losing you or Toby, THEN who's going to be in charge of the bad ideas?"

"Win--"

"Jump out in front of an attacking animal. Who does that?!"

"Winnie--" Victor flinched at the tightening of his gauze, relaxing as she finished tying it off.

"I mean, I'm thankful you did so, but what if she'd done something worse than a little scratch? You could have died, just then! So promise me you won't do something that stupid, again. If either of you boys were killed, I'd--"

Her ranting ceased with the pressure of lips against her own. As surreal as it felt, as out of the blue it felt, she let the fact sink in: Victor was kissing her. But...but...HERE? NOW? Why?! She'd spoken not a word, stared in shock as he pulled away. The smile he let blossom confirmed he was aware of her dumbfounded puzzlement. "I thought you should know, in case we die, down there," he saw fit to explain. "Unlike Toby...at least now, you know."

"Vic..." Winnie felt her face heat up.

"Ah, come on. I'm down an arm, and need you to protect my defenseless rear," he snickered in play, hinting for her to help him stand. Inside, he felt his heart pound. It was then he understood why it had taken so long for Toby to even consider admitting his feelings for Jay. With his light jab, Winnie snapped to from her stupor and hopped to her feet, reaching then for his uninjured limb to pull him up.

"Grandma said you're not supposed to kiss a guy unless you're married," cut in a child's voice. The pair jumped in their own skin, eyes locking on the doorway said voice had come from.

Nathan's voice.

Rather, his imposter's voice.

"She said people would talk," 'Nathan' continued, the "boy" refusing to show himself.

Rage began to fill Winnie from the inside, out. The nerve of this clown! "Grandma also said eavesdropping was a sin--something you said you'd never do," she accused, taking a step behind Victor, whom she'd yet to help up off the floor. "But you wouldn't know that, since the real Nathan's at rest, six feet under." A transitioning laughter, morphing from Nathan's to something more demonic, flew from doorway to doorway, the source never revealing itself. "Resting sounds good right now, doesn't it?" 'Nathan' asked. "You guys must be tired. Few have fought a werewolf and lived to tell about it. You can sleep, down here with me. The earth worms would like the company~"

A horrid stench assaulted the pair's noses, Victor nearly breaking out in uncontrollable gagging fits. Winnie scowled, pressing a cupped hand over her face. It smelled like a carcass. Like roadkill drenched in rotten eggs, and left out in the summer sun to bake. The next sound to fill their ears wasn't Nathan's stolen voice, but that of something dripping. Sloshing, as if someone had let their young child play in a bowl of gelatin. It sounded gross. Before either could ask, the creature finally appeared. Through a doorway closest to them, a human figure slumped in, footsteps staggering. Shreds of fabric hung off its body, dripping with a horrid-smelling liquid. A sort of zombie, this one practically liquefying, flesh melting. Most of its torso was exposed, revealed to have no flesh, pulsing organs on full display. Whatever gunk seeped from its body puddled on the floor as it stalked forward toward them.

Victor visibly paled, but composed himself. "Uh, you might wanna reload that, Win," he commented, fixed in place as Winnie rushed to reopen his pack, dig through for more shotgun shells. Said weapon was still in place on the floor from where Victor had previously dropped it in his retrieval of his bear spray. The woman hurried to grab it up, open it to shove the shells within. All the while, the melting undead staggered closer, nearly dripping fluids and who-knew-what on Victor. It leaned forward with its last step, rotting jaw falling open as it expelled a nauseous breath. "Hungry, Victor?" it spoke in the clown's voice, a wet hand pulling out and presenting one of its organs. There was a loud click before either monster or human could react. Yet, It knew well enough to what that sound belonged. In a flash, It snatched the barrel of the shotgun in its free hand, soaked head cracking as it whipped around to Winnie. The sheer speed of its movements stunned the young woman, leaving her unable to pull the trigger in that very moment.

It saw its chance, letting some form of acidic bile build in its throat, begin to trickle from its still-open mouth. It would only take a few seconds.

Thankfully, Victor was quicker.

That same orange spray was blasted in one of It's eyes, immediately resulting in its recoil. The organ and the shotgun were both dropped, the "zombie" staggering back as it spasmed and clawed at its face. More of its melting body was thrown to the floor around it, littering the dimly-lit room with a sludge-like substance. In moments, Victor called out to Winnie, all that she needed to aim the gun and fire. Both shots connected, the room plunged in darkness with her second shot. The smell had gone, along with all visuals of the space around them. Neither human dared to move, waiting anxiously for any further sound, sign of life. There wasn't one. "Win?" Victor began, eventually opting to shatter the silence. "You alright?"

A long pause. A breath.

"Yeah. I, uh, I think so."

Victor felt for his flashlight, switching it back on. Winnie still stood at his side, the gun aimed toward the floor. The light was flashed around them. The creature had gone, any sign of its presence having vanished. The organ it had dropped was also gone. The lights did not come back on.

"Did...did you kill it?" the ginger asked, staring back up at his companion from the floor. He hoped she had. Unfortunate that she shook her head, instead.

"If I had, the house wouldn't still be standing," she told him. The weapon was shifted to one hand, the woman wielding it peering down at the young man. "You okay?"

Victor had to swallow before he could even speak, but at least this time, he hadn't gotten ill. "Yep, all good. S-so...uh...since when did you become a pro zombie-slayer?" he tried to joke, accepting her offer to help him up, finally.

"Nathan's insistence to join him in his many zombie-shooting sessions. I'm glad now that my misery wasn't endured for nothing," Winnie snickered at the memory.

"Truly? Well, then call me up, next time you want to fire up 'Dead House'." Victor flickered the light, once more. "You sure you didn't kill it?"

"We would be buried, if I had," she repeated, reloading the shotgun. She'd read through enough of the book to grasp the concept. "I probably just ticked it off. It's hurt, but not dead."

Both were silent, suddenly hearing Toby yell to them from below. He was alive! "Light the path for me, Vic," the dark-haired woman commanded, reminded that she needed to lead them down the house's lower floors. She'd walk only where he flashed the light. But his abrupt confession from earlier hadn't been ignored, forgotten. "And in case we don't make it out..." She hesitated at the first flight of stairs.

"...I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the title of the chapter implies, I have a little confession to make, myself--not just Victor.
> 
> This update was meant to be posted two days ago, back on Tuesday. However, that plan was delayed because of the passing of my dog of 16 years, Logan. I had to make the difficult choice of putting him to sleep after he'd gotten ill, and wasn't getting any better. The last four or five days, I've been fighting urges to cry, struggled to hold myself together, knowing that this was coming and that there wasn't anything more I could do. Only when I could compose myself did I sit down and type, so I'm sorry if this update feels a little short.
> 
> I'd called last night to arrange cremation for Logan, even picked out his urn--and tried not to break down again on the phone. These have honestly been the hardest four or five days I've had to endure so far, and I do apologize if this update seems to fall a bit short, plot-wise. I had planned on so much more; I hadn't planned on saying goodbye to a pet I'd owned for the last 16 years.
> 
> When I can pull myself out of this emotional pit, I'll make up for the lack of action in the next chapter.


	31. The Lair

His vision gradually adjusted to the darkness, down here. Jay hadn't returned, still hidden somewhere in the shadows' embrace. Oxygen soon enough filled his lungs, albeit a bit painfully. There was sound at last, but...the silence around him may as well have been deafening. Toby groaned, forcing himself to move. His hands felt about for the blade he'd dropped. Even with his eyes adjusting, he couldn't make out the object's form. It couldn't have fallen far, and it wasn't as if Jay had taken it with her. Werewolves couldn't even touch silver, which made up most of his weapon.

He was finally up on his hands and knees, searching along the cool yet damp earth. Thoughts repeatedly drifted back to Jay, to what Pennywise had planned for her. He still remembered that one dream so clearly. "Prepare the nest," he recalled the clown say. A nest? But only animals made nests. Unless this clown wasn't a clown, at all. Laughable. After all, what other explanation was there? No regular human could turn his best friend into some lunar monster. No regular human could place with her some alien light, make her its host. That reminded him of what he and the Pack had learned, back in the archives. Great-grandfather Alexander was the Light's first human host. How many werewolves had been spawned, since then?

How many were left? Just this one?

Cold fingers finally located the blade with a light sting. Toby ignored the warmth seeping from the wound as he grabbed the weapon and stood up. There was a tiny smirk. At least HE wasn't terribly affected by silver; he wasn't a werewolf. Green eyes lifted to observe his surroundings. Looked to him as though he'd landed in a worn section of Derry's underground tunnels. The sewer system, judging by the smell. This one in particular hadn't been maintained, probably no longer used. The concrete pipe around him was cracking, the ground below him nothing but damp earth and moss. It was cold, likely due to the lack of sunlight. From what he could tell, there were two paths leading away from him. Jay had fled down the tunnel on his right.

The tunnel on his left gradually filled with a shaking light.

A flashlight.

"Toby? Can you hear me?" called Victor.

Toby coughed, finding his voice. "Yeah, I--I'm over here. I'm okay." In the growing light, he inspected his bleeding finger, noting how the flesh had turned white around the injury. The blade had been buried in a Lycanthrope's flesh, soaked in her blood. Would he be infected? Would his friends now have two werewolves aiming for their throats? He tried to push the worry from thought as Winnie and Victor finally made it by his side. "You're lucky you're not hurt--else I'd have you kneeling on the floor," Winnie lightly joked, giving Toby the same motherly treatment she'd given Victor. "What man in his right mind throws himself at a werewolf?"

"The sort of man that's trying to save a friend close to him," stated the Beta. "Jay's still in there, somewhere. I thought I could reach her."

He needed no further explaining as flashlights were turned to the tunnel ahead of them. Their remaining weaponry was prepped for another encounter, Toby leading the pack onward. Various unwelcome underground critters and a few water-filled tunnels were common sights, but the She-Wolf they were aiming to rescue didn't return. Where she'd gone, none could say. But in case she came back, Toby kept his silver knife at the ready. In time, the trio found their literal light at the end of the tunnel: an ominous glow seeping through a maintenance hatch. It took the combined efforts of the three to push it open, but none of them were prepared for what they saw.

The door opened up into an enormous chamber, filled equally with moonlight from above and countless mountains of stolen belongings. Children's toys, mostly. Water spilled in from broken pipes along the opposing wall, building in a pool carved within the floor. Yet, it wasn't this that shocked the trio. Circling the largest mountain, seemingly suspended in the air, were numerous still forms of children. Comatose, if they had to guess. How they were floating was a mystery. Closer inspection revealed pieces of adult bodies floating alongside the paralyzed youth. Leftovers--which only caused the Pack's residing ginger to gulp down his nausea. Not again. Not here. "Any idea what any of this is?" Toby asked Winnie, not directly facing her. Brown eyes took their time in tearing themselves from the sight before them. "You're asking me?" she returned, incredulous. "Well, yes. You read the book," the white-blond countered, giving the chamber another gesture.

Winnie nearly groaned, tugging down on her beanie hat. She hated how cold it felt, down here. "From what I can remember from the pages? This appears to be Pennywise's lair. Looks like where he's also been hoarding all of Derry's missing children. But the book said he EATS children; why has he been hoarding them?"

"Maybe saving them for later?" Victor put in, Winnie--for now--lowering their shotgun as they slowly progressed into the chamber.

"Adults, too? I mean, he's got far too many people floating up there for just himself--"

"He's preparing the nest," Toby interrupted, body tense. A heavy pause followed.

"Nest. Like...for babies?" Victor struggled to speak. At the mention, the group happened to give the chamber another look. Unlike their first sweep, the second allowed them to spot pockets of what resembled spider web tucked in corners of the chamber, some of which cradled ripped fabric, blankets. In certain formations on the ground, sharpened rock had been arranged, as if intended to be refuge for smaller lifeforms. Refuge for It's children. "We're a little late to this party," Toby quietly announced. "He's been rounding up the children as food for his offspring. We have to find the nest and destroy it."

Victor winced, favoring his injured arm, "Alright...and did the book happen to say where the clown would keep his...uh..."

"Eggs," Winnie filled in. "Those few pages, I was lucky enough to read before our little visit to Neibolt. It was depicted in the book to have laid eggs around its lair, somewhat like those pods in the Alien movies."

The ginger resisted rolling his eyes, "Oh, great. Should we be wary of Facehuggers, now?"

"No. I mean, I don't think so. Someone in the book disturbed an egg, and a spider-like creature burst out. Easily stepped on, if I remember right."

The pack's Beta scanned the ground around them as the two spoke. There were supposed to be clusters of eggs scattered about? Well, try as he might, Toby wasn't seeing any. Nothing that resembled alien pods, anyway. Unless It had gotten smart this time around, and buried the eggs under all this kid stuff. It would take hours to dig through all of this! Precious time he didn't think they had--not with two beasts looking to sink their fangs in their flesh. "I don't think It's going to make 'Attempt 2' easy for us. Sending us on some warped Easter Egg hunt. Win? Do you recall anything from the book about a secondary chamber? An extra hiding space in which the clown would hide himself? Or eggs, for that matter?" continued Toby. Initially, Winnie began to shake her head. Then she stopped, mentally digging for the answers. "Hm, well...I think it mentioned something about a deeper chamber; It's origins. But I don't know anything beyond that; I haven't finished the book, yet."

A deeper chamber? How far down? Into the center of the Earth? How were they supposed to find it?

"Change of plans, then. We search for the nest, first. Eliminate it. That might draw the monsters to us. Win, you and I combine our firepower, aim to take down Pennywise. With him gone, we might just save more than Jay."

"What, you want me to shoot Jay, now?" Winnie muttered in slight shock.

"No; you leave her to me. I've got enough of the ammo to at least cripple her." Toby lightly tapped at the revolver at his hip. "One or two should keep her from attacking. The remaining shots are for the clown; aim them at his heart."

An echoing roar blasted throughout the chamber just then, startling the group and silencing their plotting. Cautious they were as Winnie positioned the shotgun, Toby swapping his knife for his revolver. That sounded like the werewolf, but there was no telling from which direction it had come. Either monster could turn up from anywhere. "Are we sure we WANT to lead the monsters to us?" Victor almost whimpered. A question that went unanswered. Just then, the Beta caught a noise. One only he could hear, as he was the only one to be led away from the pack. The revolver in hand, Toby wandered precautiously to the nearest mountain of objects, almost passing by what appeared to be a show stage of sorts. A traveling circus wagon, perhaps? Ignored, as the white-blond recognized the sound growing louder and clearer in his ears. Flesh and fabric tearing, the disgusting sounds of innards being disturbed. Sounded much like the She-Wolf had finally reappeared, busy chowing down on another helpless victim. Yet, it was not the hairy beast Toby rounded the mountain to find.

The shine of light bouncing off his revolver was enough to cease the clown's feeding. He was crouched over a child's body, half-eaten organs cupped in his bloodied hands. At his chest, Toby could see hints of a healing wound. "Hello, Lawrence~" Pennywise only grinned. "Admiring the collection?" The young man didn't respond. Anger had begun to fill him just at the mere sight of the silver-garbed clown before him, and it didn't take him long to go and waste the first of his silver bullets. Pennywise was quicker, however, managing to dodge just as easily. The bullet instead struck the corpse on the ground, throwing blood and tissue around. To fuel this "blinding anger", the clown retreated into the darkness, aiming to lure Toby away with his taunting laughter.

It worked.

"What happened? Did Jay come back?" Victor immediately asked, having been startled by the sudden gunshot, while Toby rushed back to them. He didn't answer, slapping his revolver in Victor's functioning hand. "Trade you," he nearly growled, snatching Winnie's shotgun and the respective ammo from Victor's bag. Despite their protests, Toby proceeded to chase down the clown responsible for all of this. "Toby, wait! What about our plan?!" Victor shouted, forced to turn away from the fleeing Beta at the increasing rumble of a growl. The commanding Beta had gone--again. It was now up to him to keep the remaining members of the pack safe.

Black fur and piercing moon-yellow eyes emerged from below the circle of hovering children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know: "This thing's nearly a month late!"
> 
> I'd started typing this up a week prior, aaaannndd...the car broke down on me as I was leaving for work. (The gear shift got stuck.) DX
> 
> Luckily, my sister was able to drop me off and pick me up, but I had to find someone to come and fix the car, since I couldn't move it with it stuck in Reverse. Thankfully, my mother knew someone who could do it, and she had to contact him while on vacation. Also thankfully, it wasn't a pricey repair; just had to pay for his time and the parts he needed to pick up.
> 
> I'm starting to come back around mentally, given all the crud that's been thrown my way as of late, and I should have OLHS completed within the next couple of months. (That'll give me more time to focus on 'Revival'. XD)


	32. Confronting the Demons

Victor wasn't assured that he could do it: pull the trigger. To even consider lifting the weapon of silver and aim it at his childhood friend was almost comparative to turning the revolver on himself, pull back the trigger. Even if said friend was now in the hairy form of a supernatural monster.

Behind him, Winnie cowered, defenseless now that Toby had fled with their only other weapon. Three bullets kept sheltered in their revolver were all that shielded the two humans from the wolven creature crawling ever closer. Jay dared not to lunge for them, again. It would be all too easy to spook them into firing a shot. Down here, there wasn't adequate room to flee, disowned objects piled high and densely packed. Little space for a beast of her stature to dodge a bullet. Not that she wanted to fight, anymore; she was tiring. She just longed for them to leave. Leave her be so that she may feast in peace, regain her strength. After all, it wasn't just for herself that she needed sustenance, anymore.

Her advance was slow, claws barely making a sound as she moved on all fours. Light from the moon above poured down on her black-furred figure, turning it some shade of blue. Piercing pale-yellow eyes still remained on the two unnerved lifeforms before her. Despite the Light within her urging her to strike, sink in her teeth, rip and tear...she would not. In fact, darkened lips slipped closed over dripping fangs, narrowed eyes widening and shifting between two shades of blue. They weren't her enemies. Not truly. What ill there was towards her came only from Toby, whom felt betrayed. She couldn't blame him, either; she COULD switch sides, use her recently-obtained supernatural powers against Derry's monster of a clown.

But in truth, she did not want to. The inner beast--her inner wolf--was finally set free. Unchained, uncaged. And It wanted nothing from her in return, other than for her to secure its food source in the future, protect the young she now carried inside her. Her Deadlight was confident it could do both those things. She, however, was not. Jay knew not how to care for a human child, much less the spawn of some creature from outer space. Acting as It's sheep dog, she could do. But becoming a mother? THAT scared her. And it was that fear she'd been fighting to hide from Pennywise. He lived for it, fed on it. If she could not keep a brave face, who was to say It wouldn't turn on her?

The Deadlight she played hostess to wasn't in her control.

So she persisted in ignoring the Light's demands, clenched her jaws to keep them closed. But was it enough? Would Victor and Winnie see that she wasn't trying to be hostile? Her temporarily deep-blue eyes rose and fell between the ginger and the revolver he clutched in one hand. It was slowly rising to match her approach. A sort of "I won't if you won't" exchange. Jay knew her pack mates, well. Victor wouldn't dare pull the trigger. Toby was far more likely to do so. Toby also wielded the anger needed to do this. He'd always been one with a shorter fuse--much like Jay, herself.

If only he hadn't been too afraid to give her his heart. He lacked the bravery needed to speak the words. Exactly the reason she wouldn't take him as her Alpha.

"Jay, please. I-I don't want to do this," Victor mumbled, body beginning to shiver as he finally aimed the revolver. The beast halted mere feet from them, fangs still sheathed. This close, she could see the edges of his glasses fogging from his own body heat. "I don't want to kill you," admitted Victor. At his back, Winnie refused to speak, not wanting to divert attention. Still, Jay only stared the ginger down. She didn't want to kill them, either. It wasn't as if they were Ray and his gang of hooligans. Those were kills she'd wanted, at the time. She'd wanted to take all the harassment, all the petty annoyance and spikes of fury that he'd instilled in her, and turn it all against him. Show him why he should have taken her hints, left her be, moved on. His bones would likely drift along the bottom of the river like skeletal decorations in an aquarium.

These two weren't Ray or his misfits. They were old friends.

Black lips spread over sharp fangs, but not to lash out and bite. Vocal cords emitted a growl, struggling with breath to form words. "Then go," Jay managed, unblinking eyes shifting from them to the chamber door. Winnie did not follow, but Victor did. Jay would just...let them leave? Well, of course she would; she was their friend! At least, she used to be. Still was, wasn't she? He peered back at the beast, weapon still at ready. A slight snarl tugged her lips. "My order," she clarified, her human voice still at war with the beastly growls rumbling within her chest. "Her order". As in, "their Alpha's order". If they left, they would live. Victor looked then in the direction he'd last seen Toby. He and Winnie couldn't just leave their Beta, not when they'd already lost their Alpha. But if they stayed...

They would all die. Victor made his choice.

The revolver was prepped to fire.

"A wolf's strength lies with its pack. That's what you always told us," he spoke, fighting to calm his shivering. All that moved about the Lycanthrope was the twitching of her nose. "But if we leave now, we'll have no pack. No strength. None to set you free."

Wet fangs were bared, a burning in her chest growing and reaching up into her throat.

"So, for now, I'll be the one to say it."

A blinding light built within her parting jaws.

"...Run on your own."

Monstrous eyes widened and resumed their yellow hue, a threatening roar booming from behind readied fangs. The werewolf lunged. A gun shot followed.

***************************************************

Toby hadn't any idea where he was, now.

Once more, he'd fallen victim to his own blinding fury. The desire--the craving--for revenge. Vengeance for the love that had been taken from him. Where his abrupt pursuit for the clown had led him, he couldn't tell. Nothing this far down looked familiar. And where had that monstrosity gone? He'd followed the laughter, his only guide, this far down. The cause of said laughter had yet to reveal itself. Hiding, no doubt. Both hands grasping the shotgun, Toby cautiously wandered further into this new chamber.

Strange jagged formations filled most of this space. Enormous, as if having contained an explosion at one time. Just barely. These spires of midnight black and dark purple appeared to circle the chamber floor, almost spiraling towards its center. The core itself was an encasement of the same dual-colored spires, but was formed in such a way that reminded Toby of...an egg? Was this what the clown had emerged from? Was this It's birthplace? "Where have you gone, beast?" he muttered, his weapon readied. His proceeding steps were careful, he not wanting to drop his guard. "Nowhere else to run to, down here."

Unless this cavern stretched far into the planet's core. A gateway straight to the underworld? That would make the most sense as far as where this creature came from--if not for their learning about It having originated from space.

"There's always a place to go," returned Pennywise's voice with a mocking giggle. "For you, perhaps an open pit? That would take you further down~"

Clenched teeth barely displayed, Toby kept the shotgun aimed as he turned about in place, hoping for any sight of the clown. "If either of us is going to fall, I swear it's going to be you," he spat back. The mocking voice appeared to travel around the chamber, not once staying in place for too long, "Oh...not one for a little tumble, hm? Well, then there's always up--and I could help you get there~"

"You mean like the children you've got floating around, back there?" Where was this circus freak? He just wanted to plant two shots in that dome of a head and get out of here...

There was further laughter, this time drawing nearer. Toby hadn't the patience for this monster's games. "They'll be free once you're dead, won't they? Jay, too. So why don't we cut out the games here and fight fairly?" he said, his impatience beginning to show. Interrupted for a brief moment, as a rapidly-flickering light, almost like lightning, began to fill the chamber from above. Wonder drove him to look up. There, far above his head, were three enormous lights. Their source was unknown, the spherical trio sharing a sort of high-voltage spark. They appeared to be descending, closing in. Recalling what Jay had said about her own experience with these lights, Toby immediately ripped his gaze away. The clown had tried to use them against her once, back in the Halloween maze. But unlike Jay, he hadn't a Light to protect him. What was it they'd learned about these lights? 'Deadlights', or something? They drove mortal minds to madness, didn't they? Halt all mental function? Well, whatever they did, Toby couldn't risk casting a curious eye for too long.

Not if he wished to avoid ending up like the missing children.

Eventually, Toby picked up on movement, nearby. Heavy steps, from what he could hear below the thunder echoing from the Lights, above. Finally, the creature was due to show himself. And when he did, this would be over before it would even begin. "They all float down here, you know~" Pennywise again taunted, but again failed to frighten the young man. "Give it a rest, already. Show yourself!" the Beta ordered, pinpointing the monster's location. He expected the clown to pull another trick from his sleeve, perhaps have the Jay he knew to come walking out from behind those spires. He prepared himself for some form of trickery, any ruse meant to have him drop his guard. He expected the clown to emerge, tease him on and on about the dream-visits, mocking him about his hopeless attempts to keep Jay safe. He expected this beast to toy with his emotions, render him unable to pull the trigger.

"...But Blue Jay did not. So why have you come?" was the clown's next verbal push.

"I loved her!" Toby nearly shouted, daring to wander closer to Pennywise's hiding place. "And you took all of that away from me! Quit hiding, freak show, and come out here!"

The Beta didn't expect to see what then crawled out before him. The clown was giant, and had mutated himself. Two sets of arms, two sets of spider-like legs. And its body? Relative to that of an arachnid, just wrapped up in the clown's silver costume. "Took that away? Oh, no~ It was never yours to begin with. 'Finders, keepers'," grinned the hybrid, relishing in the state of shock the young man then displayed. "Poor Lawrence. Far too afraid to tell his crush his feelings~" Two steps closer resulted in Toby matching two steps back. What was he even LOOKING at?!

"But don't worry; Ol' Pennywise will tell her all about it...right after dinner~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH--just a few chapters away from being done! And don't fret; Jay's not dead. End of story, if she was. ^^;
> 
> The update was long overdue, so I focused on OLHS, this time. Next one (or two) will be for "Revival".


	33. Battle Below Ground

'Well, cue the Boss Battle music,' was Toby's only thought, his brain finally reconnecting with his body. Running for cover was his initial act, a mental count of how many shot gun shells he had left reminding him to take careful aim. One shot was fired at the mutant clown's then outstretched hand, Toby's cover as he hurried to take shelter--wherever he could find it. For now, the strange spires would do the job. But even with an obstacle separating the two, the Beta couldn't relax. He may have blasted one of the monster clown's hands, but Pennywise still had three more. And even then, there was no telling whether or not the space beast could heal himself on the spot.

Heavy steps alerted the Beta to the beast's approach, and he aimed the gun to shoot through a section of his "shelter". He didn't stay in place for long to see what he'd hit, wanting to remain out of the clown's reach for as long as possible. In pausing just long enough to reload the gun, Toby cast a wary gaze about the chamber. He actively avoided looking up at those three lights, which hovered unbothered above. Those were...what, exactly? This thing's life source? Could THEY be shot at? An idea, but Toby was doubtful that tactic would work. It wasn't as if he'd the bullets to spare, either way. No; he needed to stick with his own plan--aim for the beast's heart.

"Hilarious, isn't it?" Pennywise began from somewhere else in the chamber. "All this fuss, just for a mere girl..."

Green eyes narrowed, bent on locating their target. "The way you say that makes it sound like she's not important. If that's the case, then why are you so intent to keep her?"

Silence. A carefully-planned scuttling among the spires.

"Is it just because she's got one of your lights?"

Said Lights flickered and pulsed, above. Odd it was that the air in here was getting heavy.

"You could have saved yourself the trouble, and eaten her, yourself." Toby startled at movement among the shadows, taking aim and firing another blast. When the threat didn't make itself visible, he continued. "But you didn't. When you took her the first time? None of us could reach her to save her life. You could have ended her, then. You kept her. I want to know why." He dared a glance upward. "Is it because of those things?!" He attempted his risky tactic, aiming almost blindly and firing. He wasn't sure if he'd hit any of those light orbs, having then needed to run for it when shards of rock fell from overhead.

"You don't understand what it is you trifle with, boy. Doesn't matter how many books you may read," sneered back the mutant clown.

That almost tugged a smile out of Toby. "On the contrary: I think we've read plenty. Humans fought with you in the past, didn't they? That one book was supposed to have been written by a survivor, right? A 'lunatic', according to some folks. But he knew something about you that we didn't--and few of us took it seriously."

A mocking laugh. "Just another scary story to tell around the fire, was it?"

Toby's fingers began to go numb, his grip tight on his weapon. His trigger finger was tiring. "He was trying to send a warning. The archives, Frankie's books...all of it was evidence. Clues to hint to us that we needed to be on our toes. Jay was the only factor to solidify it for us. Our living proof. And YOU just had to come along..." A spider-like leg and a clawed hand landed nearby the Beta, a flash of yellow eyes all it took to make Toby fire another shot. It hit its mark, but only made the beast peel open its own head, spouting forth an intense beam of light. A light that caused Toby to throw up an arm, try to shield his eyes. He was far too close; he should have run away. Instead, he found himself knocked to the ground, an incredible pain engulfing his right leg. With the light blinding him, he couldn't see what dealt him harm, and he convinced himself to lift the shotgun, fire another blind bullet.

There was recoil, the light dying away with the monster's distressed screech. Able to open his eyes, Toby looked himself over, finding the claw-like point of Pennywise's spider-limb impaling his upper leg. There would be no more running, now. "I was prepared to tell her," Toby struggled, clenching his teeth as he reloaded the gun. "I was finally building up the courage to tell her everything. I wasn't afraid to be turned down, to hear her rejection. Not anymore. So long as she knew..." He fired off another round, successful in freeing himself from under the mutant's weight. "Until you barged in and ruined everything! You've poisoned her! She's nothing of the woman she once was because of you!" He pushed himself to stand, fighting the pain claiming his limb. One hand briefly gripped the bleeding flesh, the torn muscle and tissue hidden within. Warmth spilled over his fingers. Once he was standing, he aimed the gun again, nearly dragging his injured leg as Pennywise recoiled. The clown's face reformed, now sporting visible injury on one side of his face. It bled, droplets of the substance trickling upward.

It could bleed. Which meant it could die.

"Perhaps you will be the first that my spawn will feast upon," Penn growled in threat.

"Shame you'll never get to see them. After all you've done?! Why should I just stand by and let you receive exactly what you took away from me?!" The anger and hatred began to resurface, exactly the fuel Toby needed to drive him forward. More shots were fired as the creature backed off, nearly crippling it. The gun's chambers emptied, and Toby reached for more bullets. He found none. His leg injured, he wouldn't be running, either. In frustration, he cast the gun aside, it now useless. Yet, the combination of ill thoughts and feelings urged him to keep fighting. The only weaponry he had left were his silver blade, a last-resort that required him to be up-close, and the broken rock around him. Bloodied fingers hastily gathered the heavier, sharper chunks. "Our pack's youngest, Nate, lies in a box in the ground, because of you!" Rock was pelted at the retreating beast, blood rising from his shotgun wounds. "Cheated out of his entire life! A life that YOU stole!" Toby stopped himself from stumbling as he reached for more rocks, ignoring the warmth spilling down his pant leg. "You took a brother from Winnie! A son from his mother! You ripped our pack apart; took our unity away from us! You've tormented and haunted each one of us--turned us against each other! And from me?! You took my best friend! The one person I loved more than anything on this planet!"

Toby began to feel hot tears spill down his cheeks, mentally brushed aside as equally as his bleeding limb. "I wish you'd never been born! I want you DEAD, you hear me?! You and all of your scum offspring! I want you all dead and gone! Never to walk the earth, again!" He put everything he had physically into throwing the last of his "ammo", only realizing when his hands were empty that the mutant clown had reverted to normal size and form. Or at least, for a short moment. By the end of his ranting, Toby then stood mere feet away from a child-sized version of Pennywise, looking so pitiful and weak. He almost laughed. "That's what it comes to, huh? A little fear makes you a giant, but faced with anger, and you resort to a small kid? You think THAT'S going to make me spare you?!" It didn't make sense to Toby. At first. But he thought it over and over to himself, what all he'd learned from both Winnie's and Frankie's findings. And it hit him. "You're incomplete. That's why you kept Jay: she had your missing piece. The last to your puzzle to make you whole. Without it, you are nothing to stand against us humans."

The creature before him only cowered and tried to crawl away from him. Above, the Lights appeared to panic, as if aware. As if calling out for help. "I'll find your nest," Toby swore, reaching for his blade and pulling it from its sheath. "I'll find it, and carve out every one of your little demons. Send them straight to the underworld, where they belong. You won't be there to hear their cries, stop me from stealing away their lives as you did, Nate's." There was a strange sound at his back. A sound he paused for, but only heard the dragging of his foot as it struggled to carry his weight. "Lucky me, I get to be the one to snuff out...what did you call yourself? 'The Eater of Worlds'?" Something felt alien about his own grin. As if he wasn't in control of said facial motion. Perhaps it was the irony of it all running full circle? The hunter became the hunted. His arms ached, but he summoned what strength he had left, stepping close and raising the silver blade enough to plunge it down. Aimed just for the creature's heart.

Cold regret gushed through him as the blade sank into dark fabric and black fur, a pained canine cry following. The blade's handle protruded from this beast's left shoulder, inches away from being buried in her rib cage. Smoke rose from around the blade, as if slowly burning away the flesh. A few monstrous breaths were drawn, expelled in a string of snarls. The She-wolf's head rose gradually, glaring eyes locked on Toby. Fangs were bared as their owner advanced on all fours, eventually clearing Pennywise below her to stand up-right. It's trio of Lights resumed their glow, causing Jay's own light to respond. Her jaws parted, an orange light brightening the back of her throat. At her core, her Deadlight pulsed, sending residual light down into something within her stomach. No--not her stomach. Something within her womb.

TWO "somethings".

Toby wanted to be sick. NOW he knew where the nest was.

Somewhere behind, he heard Winnie and Victor cry out, call to him. Too little, too late. Jay swung an arm, striking Toby with sharp claws. The force sent him back several feet, distancing him from his only other weapon still lodged in Jay's back. Blood stained his jacket, wet dirt making the fresh cuts sting. One of his friends called out his name, and he shouted his order without a second thought.

"Jay IS the nest! Shoot her! Victor, shoot her!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEARLY done with this one! I may try to push onward and get this completed, or see about another update to "Revival". This one MIGHT be more likely, so keep an eye open.


	34. Slipped Through Your Fingers

"Shoot her."

An order Victor just couldn't bring himself to do. Shot her before, he had. Fired once as she attempted to strike at him and Winnie. Meant to be a warning shot, but at close range? He'd unintentionally succeeded in grazing her neck, taking a small chunk out of her ear. That was evident by the blood dripping from her wounds. Her snapping jaws had missed their target, slamming shut in her muted pain. All she'd succeeded in doing was knocking her friends to the floor, the silver gun from Vic's hands. While the fired bullet hadn't been embedded in her flesh, the burning sensation it left behind on her skin spread around the wound like the itching of a poison ivy plant. Sound temporarily avoided filling one ear, the same one Victor accidentally shot. Jay felt the warmth of her own blood, busy wiping at it with a clawed hand as she hurried to stand up.

Ghastly yellow eyes fell once more on the pair. Victor stood with Winnie's help, still favoring his injured arm. He was in no hurry to grab up the gun.

Neither party wished to harm the other. Yet, neither party was due to back down, surrender. And before either side could speak, some unknown force beckoned Jay. A brief light flickered within her body, and the humans before her were forgotten. The lycanthrope's head whipped toward the core of the lair, and her body acted faster than her mind could comprehend. Something called desperately for her aid, as if life depended on it. Through the darkened cavern, she'd run, eventually emerging upon the sight of Toby confronting a weakened Pennywise. "You won't be there to hear their cries, stop me from stealing away their lives as you did, Nate's," she heard the Beta mutter, her own muffled movement all that caused him to pause. She was not seen, like she'd been trained. And while Toby continued with what he thought would be his last words to the monster, she'd circled the chamber to crawl up behind the relenting clown. At the first flash of the silver blade, Jay launched herself from the shadows, throwing herself over Pennywise as the blade came to land between her shoulder blades. If anything happened to him, what would become of her own Light? Of its own abilities? Would his death do away with her Lycanthropy? Would she retain it, but be left weakened and unable to defend the young he'd entrusted her to carry?

Their young...would they survive? Or would they die alongside him?

Her pained cry warped into fierce snarls. She felt the silver burn away at her body, aches and pains beginning to constrict her muscles. Her head lifted, and all that filled her vision was Toby, their Beta. Some form of horror had taken to his features. He'd stumbled backwards, giving her space to lurch toward him. Only when she was between the Beta and Pennywise did she force herself to stand up-right, the blinding light from the Deadlights above causing her own Light to glow. Her jaws parted, and she felt another burning sensation in her throat. Like liquid fire. A borrowed strength filled her altered form, and at the sudden calling of her former friends' arrival in the chamber, she struck. A rapid swipe of a clawed hand sent Toby flying, the increasing scent of his blood flooding Jay's nostrils. His injuries were great, but not quite life-threatening.

"Jay IS the nest! Shoot her! Victor, shoot her!" Toby shouted, fighting to get back on his feet, but to no avail. With wounds to a leg and lacerations to his upper body, he would not stand without his friends' assistance.

With his order, Jay glared at the only other armed male in the chamber--effectively halting Victor's progress. He held the silver-bearing gun in one hand. Only two shots remained. They had to count. Well, if only "Frankie" wasn't so opposed to shooting down an old friend...

Both continued their "staring contest", neither deciding to make the first move. A silent dare, one might say. "I'll move if you do." Jay didn't lunge forward, and "Frankie" never lifted the gun. In fact, the only ones to move in those few seconds were Toby, whom still struggled to get up, and Winnie, whom hurried to help him stand. The Lights above the group were beginning to sound like an encroaching thunderstorm. As soon as he was up, Toby lightly shoved Winnie aside, stumbling his way toward Victor. Knowing the white-blond as well as she did, Jay knew his intentions, and made the split-second decision to get both herself and Pennywise out of there. They would not be going back the way they'd come, no. Not with the humans still wielding the silver gun.

The only other way they could go...was up.

Just as soon as Toby's hand landed on the revolver, Jay emitted a rough snarl and whirled in place to drop on all fours just long enough to gather the clown in her jaws. Without a moment's breath, the beast was soon scaling the alien formations around the chamber, using them as leverage to leap off into a protruding drainage pipe. Not a second too soon, as the remaining two silver bullets were haphazardly fired, sparking against the pipe. The Deadlights hovering above mysteriously disappeared. The chamber was left, dark.

Something relatively heavy hit the ground, and Victor's choking breaths followed after.

"Why didn't you just pull the trigger?! All you had to do was shoot her!" griped Toby, shown to be fruitlessly choking Victor with his only able hand. Winnie, responsible for illuminating the darkness with her phone, rushed to separate the two--before any further damage could be done. "We were supposed to save her, Victor! Kill the clown, and she would have been free!" Toby shouted on, again lashing out with misplaced anger. "I couldn't shoot her; I'm sorry!" Victor coughed back, choosing to stay behind Winnie. "I can't...not my friends. Not Jay..." He heard Toby emit an angered groan, the shifting of earth as the white-blond dragged his injured leg. "She's NOT our friend, anymore! Why don't you guys get that?!" yelled the Beta, met only with their silence.

He could smell blood. Right; they were all injured. They needed medical attention--fast.

"Before they come back," Winnie began, quietly panting, "we need to get ourselves and the kidnapped children out of here. We're all hurt, and unable to chase them down. We have to let the monsters go." She sighed. "This time."

"If they come back, we can finish them off," Toby refused, glaring eyes locked on the enormous pipe just out of their reach. The same pipe Jay had used as an escape route.

"Finish them off. With WHAT, Toby? We're out of ammo, and you took my Dad's shotgun. If I don't bring that back, I won't HAVE to worry about the clown killing me! Dad'll do the job for him!" Winnie countered, her phone's light darting across the ground in search of the mentioned weapon. It was unlikely she'd find it. As Victor's phone light was switched on in hopes of helping her locate it, Toby could only keep his gaze on the pipe. Where did it lead to? Where would those beasts hide, next? He flinched at the pain resulting from his movement. Winnie was right. He was too injured to continue hunting them. He hated to, but...even if he weren't hurt, how was he expected to scale the wall and climb into the pipe after them? Defenseless, at that?

He let his fury die. For now, the monsters would go, free. They needed to see themselves out, rescue the children probably being released from their coma-like state. He heard Victor call out triumphantly, his searching yielding results. Two artificial lights skimmed across the ground of the chamber, and Toby felt his friends' hands grip his arms. "C'mon. Nothing good will come out of waiting, down here," Winnie tried again, she and Victor able to get Toby moving, again. They would soon find the released children, and somehow back-track their way out of the sewers.

Their "witch hunt", though, was far from over...

********************************************

Snow and ice were gradually being carried on the wind.

Early morning light had begun to chase away the dark of night. How long had their confliction raged? Seemed only to the She-Wolf that the "engagement" had only lasted a few minutes. In the new light, Jay could feel and see another snowstorm blowing in. Perfect cover as they made their escape. The beast could then see her breath, mouth unoccupied and shut to keep from drawing in too much of the chilly air. In one arm, she'd dropped Pennywise, her attempt to try and warm him in the grip of Winter. They'd emerged somewhere in the Barrens, now an icy wasteland. There was no one out here, not this early. Certainly not in this growing storm.

They would need shelter, but the sewers weren't safe, and her former pack knew where the Neibolt house was. WHAT the Neibolt house was. They would have to lay low. But there WAS a place. One that Jay was sure the others had long forgotten. After all, it once used to belong to Nathan--now long gone.

Scouting it out on three available limbs was a chore in itself. Snow and ice covered EVERYTHING. Even with her fur and layered clothing, Jay could still feel the bite of Winter at her hands and feet. The cold wasn't helping the burning of the knife still embedded in her back, either. That would need to come out; she could already feel her body growing weak.

Peculiar lights flickered and pulsed, not far ahead. Hidden among the trees and coated greenery. Leading her on. An alcove in an earthen wall, well hidden behind layers of broken branches and snow, was where she was led. Nathan's former "hideout", judging by the misplacement of previously-discarded furniture. The Deadlights awaited within, magically carving away at the layers of earth as they continued to lead Jay on. Down, she realized. They were traveling back down, but not into the sewers. How far down, though, was undisclosed. Jay didn't refuse, object. There was little she could rely on, put her faith in, now. Trust. A few times during her wandering, she'd cast a glance to the clown she held. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't responsive.

Well...it was not as if Jay could exchange word with him. Not in beast form. And her mind was far too weary to even consider the option of mental communication. Yes; that was something the two of them could do. How had she forgotten?

Eventually, the Lights ceased their guidance, dropping Jay off in a new cavern chamber they instantly began to create. They hovered above, far out of the lycan's reach. Directly below them, a large "shell" of those alien spires was formed. Her hint that it was where she was to deposit Pennywise. He'd remained unconscious as she set him down, careful to mind the jagged "teeth" of the spires meant to protect him. She fought a smile. It was akin to placing an infant in its crib. A chill nipped at her back, and she turned her head. She couldn't see it, but her enhanced hearing told her the storm was picking up. She wouldn't be going anywhere, for a little while. Fair enough; she still had a knife to get out of her back.

With him secured, the She-Wolf moved to space herself from the "crib", drawing in a breath before reaching once, twice to grab hold of the blade's handle. Withdrawal was a real witch. The cursed thing burned as much coming out as it did, going in. She heard the flesh sizzle, the burning thankfully fading away. The blade free, she pulled it into view. Rich red turned black as it hissed on the surface of the weapon, dropping off like embers on the ground. She felt sick--and not from the sight. The blade had sat within her body for too long. She'd removed it, but it would take time for her body to flush out the essence of silver. Her clawed hand relaxed, letting the blade fall to the ground. Her shoulder hit the wall of the chamber in her body's act to seek rest.

"Merciful creature..."

Rest? What rest?

Another audible breath, and the furry beast turned her head to peer over her shoulder. She was tired, but this was important. He'd awoken, but sounded just as worn as she was. He didn't speak, didn't act beyond extending his arms out to her. Inviting her closer. Nearer, she moved, ignoring the pain clawing her back. His two gloved hands came to rest on either side of her beastly face, neither of the monsters bearing threatening eyes. Both were tired and would soon rest. He, for much longer. Jay knew, and leaned into this embrace of his as gently as she could.

"I shall keep you..." he spoke.

Good. And she would keep him safe. She withdrew upon feeling him pull away, not wanting to say goodbye. Not yet.

"Protect them," he instructed, eyes never leaving hers. Not until the spires formed their protective pod around him, signaling his time of rest and recovery. The werewolf backed away, the abrupt moment rather...bittersweet. He wasn't dead; he would come back. But if the stories were true, this would make for a long 27-year wait. Jay wasn't even convinced she would last that long. However, she had a job to do, now that he was resting. She had to stay out of Derry, patrol its surrounding forest, keep the sheep in the pen. She would also need to seek out another safe-haven, a place to birth her young. This new cavern, while well-hidden and difficult to find, was meant only to be Pennywise's resting place. Her former pack would be hunting her down, now. She'd need to keep them away from her recovering Alpha.

Thought alone was enough to keep her mind abuzz as she headed back up the long tunnel. Her body finally dropped for rest near the cave's mouth, the howling wind outside her only company. When she was well again, she would hunt, begin a search for a secondary shelter. Now was time to keep her end of the bargain. Guard the "sheep", let none escape. If she could, find a place of safety to bear her young. Who knew for how long she'd have to carry them?

She expelled a tired breath. No matter. She needed time to cleanse the poison from her body. Soon, she wouldn't be able to maintain her wolven form. Sleep would come, soon enough.

Wind carried with it a bitter chill as darkness gradually claimed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At most, there might be three more chapters of this one to go. I'd intended there to be more, BUT this thing's already gone on for so long. (Need to wrap it up, if I'm going to focus on Revival.)


	35. 27 Years Later

The years passed, the required time frame ending with another unforgiving Winter.

Another storm was due to blow in, provide cover for the beast's next hunt. Since her emergence, Derry hadn't been the same. All this talk of a carnivorous clown had died away, the only thing people worried about nowadays being the fanged terror in Derry's woods. Children of the following generation were told stories of this beast. Some wolven creature that often preyed upon humans. A werewolf. "Never wander into the woods at night," it was often spoken. A warning. One that most frightened children obeyed. Some did not.

A monster in the woods? Hah! A laugh. Because everyone knew monsters didn't exist. Yet...if that were so, then how could one explain all the bizarre occurrences? Tourists were allowed into Derry, but nobody had been able to leave. There were no out-of-town trips, no permanent moves away from Derry. Because whenever one tried, something peculiar always seemed to happen, prevent it. Trees that had stood for years, spanning generations, had fallen over into major roads. Perhaps there were downed power poles, or a severe car crash. And that was typically during the day. Try to leave at nightfall? Forget it.

Something lurked beyond Derry's borders. Try to leave town, and you'd have to pass through the woods, the expansive stretch of forest. The beast would find you, whether you were on silent foot or trucking it by vehicle. If by the latter, they would only have the vehicle left behind to find. And yet, tourism was allowed to continue. People from out of town were allowed in. No road-blockages. Why?

For Toby Lawrence, he knew exactly why.

An old friend of his had struck up a deal with a demon from space. She'd hunt only beyond the town's borders, its limits. Never had she spilled any blood on Derry's streets. That was because Derry was not her territory, but the clown's. Letting people in, but never letting them leave. As if she were herding them all in a pen. Akin to the sheep dog hounding its master's herd. THEY, themselves, hadn't tried to leave town. The trio--what was left of the former Pack--chose to remain at Derry's heart, keep a close watch over the town's streets and scout the edge of the forest for any sign of her emergence. The years had passed, but the beast still lived. They, themselves, would run out of time.

When they'd last seen her, they'd rescued the surviving children, returned them all to their worried families. For a time, those whose children had been recovered gave the trio their full support. Whatever monster was out there now needed to be destroyed. Alas, with time, even those supporters let memory fail them. There was no monster, nothing preying upon Derry. And somehow, the trio were all that could still remember. Why had everyone else forgotten? Was this the clown's doing? Oh, they'd scouted, searched. Attempted to find HIS resting place. But the years passed, and they hadn't found him. They hadn't cornered HER, either.

Last night marked the end of another 27-year period. Tonight's agenda was a rescue mission.

It was frigid, another Winter storm on its way in. Yet, before more snow would blow over, a group of five teenagers thought it a good idea to test the town's local legend. Three young men and two young women, all bundled up in their Winter best. Flashlights in hand and boredom having sparked the idea in one of them over hot cocoa at a diner, they'd found themselves at the edge of Derry's primary street out. In the distance was the green sign declaring Derry's limits and bidding those who normally would have left a thanks for visiting. Beyond that was the darkness leading into the dense woodland. In Spring, the scenery wasn't so bad. In Winter? Especially at night? The many trees' branches were bare, host only to the collective jagged icicles that hung from them. Daring the young and foolish to try entering, like the gaping mouth of a ravenous beast. The town limits sign? Adorned with vicious claw marks. A warning to those outside the woods from the creature that lived within them.

"We should probably go back, Damien," one of the young women suggested, the car door shutting behind her as their friends piled out.

"C'mon, don't wuss out on me. Just a five-minute walk, maybe get some video or something. Enough proof to convince the scaredy-cats in town that there's no monster, nothing to be afraid of," replied the young man in question, adjusting his own Winter hat before playfully tugging down on his girl's. This only scored him an elbow to his chest, which he coughed off with a brief laugh. Their friends shut their respective doors, the clicks of flashlights following. Some with phones at ready, they silently made way for the limits. The only sounds that announced their presence were their occasional sniffling and the crunch of snow under their boots. What light sources they had on hand were cast this way and that, as if curious to find whatever may be hiding itself among those trees. Someone in the group began recording, quietly stating names, the date, and the evening's current time. Another muttered to question the reason behind the recording, the answer being "in case anyone happens to find us all, dead". In joke, of course.

Darkened trees gradually surrounded them, their lights casting illumination on little than the snow, the ice-littered branches. There were no animals to speak of. No birds, no scavenging squirrels. The occasional snowflake fluttered down, but that was all. "Well, it's been several minutes. And we're all still breathing," spoke the young man recording this misadventure. Each of the group members was then recorded, each providing their own feedback to this little experiment of theirs. The boys all mocked Derry's idea of something spooky living in the woods. One of the women tried to appear cute, while the worried one from before only voiced her opinion to get back to the car and out of the cold. One male chucked a handful of snow at her, hoping to make her lighten up. All he succeeded in was getting her to cry out, then turn on him in fury. Into the woodland and out of sight, they'd fled, the only movement to track their own being the disturbance of snow. Minutes passed, and the only one to return was the woman. "Where's Damien?" one asked, the others light-heartedly laughing.

A shout in horror from somewhere in the trees made the previously-angered woman scream, resulting with the collective laughter of the remaining group. All in good fun, they'd thought. The now embarrassed female tossed snow at the lot of them, then turned around to yell back at Damien. The prank over with, she'd expected her boyfriend to come back out. He didn't. "The joke's gone on, long enough. If you don't come out right now, you're getting a face full of something worse than snow," she threatened, grabbing up the first stick she could find. Back the way she'd come, she trekked, aiming to whip her boyfriend all the way back to the group. The lights from her tailing friends lit her path...and eventually revealed the horrible fate of her lover. White snow transitioned to a dark red, dragged further into the Winter landscape. Even more softly, she'd called her boyfriend's name, her brisk steps now slow. Behind the thicker trees, she could hear something wet be ripped and torn, droplets patting against the snow as something feasted. Around them, she wandered, a light shining across the reddened ground to reveal the moving creature, just beyond. Damien was stretched out, arms above his head. His eyes were wide open, face frozen in an expression of terror. His skin was ghastly-pale, contrasting the bright red of his own blood. Grasping him at the ribs were two beastly hands, chalk-white with black claws and equally-as-darkened fur. The navy-blue costume this thing was garbed in was wet, either from blood or from melted snow. As the light was cast upon it, the beast reared its head back from its kill, a monstrous white face coated with fresh blood. Whatever it had pulled from Damien's abdomen, it swallowed.

She screamed, and it immediately roared back, exposing glimmering-wet fangs.

Her friends all panicked, joining in on her chorus of screams as they all rushed to backtrack to the car. Fear now fueled them all, and it was what triggered the wolven beast. This...She-Wolf. She pursued the remaining group, this drive to hunt and kill far too great to ignore. Another would have fallen, if not for the appearance of a man at the forest's border. "All of you, move aside!" he ordered, taking careful aim of the shotgun he wielded. In their panic, the teens did as told, ducking out of the way so that this man could fire a shot at the monster chasing them. The She-Wolf cunningly stuck to the trees, all that the man successfully shot with the exploding of old tree bark. She was in her element; he wouldn't be gunning her down, this night. But he could at least provide cover. "Get back to town limits--now! Hurry!" he ordered again, succeeding in prepping and firing his weapon, a few more times. The teens didn't object, running with hunched bodies and lowered heads, some with their hands over their ears. Behind Damien's car, they huddled, sparing fearful glances back at the woods they'd fled from.

They couldn't see the beast anymore, but a warning roar was enough to keep them from wandering back in. Meanwhile, the man whom had saved them ran the rest of the way toward them, slowing only when he was sure the monster hadn't followed. They got a better look at him, noting his white-blond hair and trimmed gray beard. Green eyes were kept narrowed on the treeline. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, daring not to take his eyes off the trees. "N-no. That thing got Damien," one of the boys replied, having to raise his voice over the sniffling and crying of his grieving friends. The man sighed, his breath a mere fog. Replacement bullets were drawn from his coat pocket, inserted into the open shotgun. "...I am sorry," he offered. All he could say, before someone called out to him.

"Toby."

Lawrence looked, finding his ginger-haired friend jog closer, his own shotgun strapped to his back. Victor had also grown older, not much changing except for his glasses. The square frames he once had were long swapped for a rounded pair. Thin scars, all that remained of old claw marks from a close encounter with the beast Jay, adorned one side of his head, running from an ear to his cheek. "You find anything?" Toby asked, immediately. "Sorry, no. But I heard the gunshots. You find her?" Victor responded, stopping just feet away from him. "Not ME," Toby corrected, turning then to the surviving teens. "She claimed one, just now. I didn't make it in time." Another sigh, this one from Victor. Like Toby, he was also dressed for the Winter conditions. Unlike Toby, he refused to keep a beard of any sort. "You lot were told time and time again not to wander into the woods at night. SHE'S the reason why," Toby addressed them, his voice stern but kept lowered. They'd already been threatened enough, that night. "S-she? That THING was a girl?" coughed one of the younger males. Ignored, as the two older men then discussed. "That's a fourth one, this week. Her hunting habits have picked up," Victor noted.

"Yes...she must have had her pups. That would only explain her increased need to feed."

"What should we do?"

"We can't keep putting it off. We'll have to organize an expedition; aim beyond Derry's woodland. Find its heart. There aren't many caves left open, so she'll have to have sought refuge in one of the elder trees."

"As if we know which one, Lawrence."

"That's why we'll have to search, thoroughly. Which might also mean a multi-day trip. We'll have to prepare; inform Winnie."

"What about them?" Victor looked to the teens.

"Get 'em back to town. She won't hunt them, there."

"And Jay?"

Toby shook his head. "I couldn't land a shot, but I must have run her off. She didn't follow."

Both men peered again to the woodland, finding nothing but the Winter landscape. "Winter won't last, forever. Spring will be here before we know it. We must act now, before the carnivals come back in full swing. We can't alert anyone in town," Toby instructed, aware of the secrecy he and the surviving Pack had agreed upon. They knew the She-Wolf's true identity, while most in Derry did not. The trio, wishing to keep suspicion low, agreed to seek Jay's end themselves, hoping a subtle extermination would be in Derry's best interest. That said, Victor gave his nod, proceeding towards the cowering teens. "Your ride close by?" Toby called to him. "Left it, up the road. I was already on foot when I heard you," said Victor. "I'll give you a lift, back. We'll follow behind them," Toby stated, already leaving for his truck. He'd parked it not far from the teens' vehicle, alerted by the sight of the empty car. "Alright, listen close. We're going to follow you guys back into town, just to make sure you get home, safely. If that thing follows, we can stop her," Victor addressed, the teens busy trying to calm and keep warm their female companions. "What about Damien?" the upset girlfriend mumbled. "I'm sorry, but there's little we can do for him, now. We'll take care of the monster that killed him, but for now, you all need to get home. Leave the beast to us," the older man stated.

"His parents should know...at least," muttered one of the younger males.

"Leave that to us, as well. We'll handle this."

It was enough. It had to be. What more was there? Without further word and with more grief, the teens went for their car, the girlfriend offering the current driver the key. When all were in their seats and the car was pulling off, Vic hurried to Toby's truck, sliding into the passenger seat. Their focus was kept on the forest, in case their target chose to ambush them. Fortunately, nothing more happened, the truck seamlessly driving along behind the teens' car.

******************************************

Moon-yellow irises stayed locked on the departing vehicles, watching the headlights distance themselves, the red tail lights fade away. So close, and yet so far. She'd hoped to bag herself a second kill. One would have to do, this hunt. Back among the trees, the black-furred beast withdrew, pointed animal-like ears unmoving as she listened. There were no other humans, and it didn't appear as though Winnie had accompanied the boys. She must've been patrolling in town. No matter. She'd at least one kill, this night.

The scent of blood lured her back to the body, the abdomen already hallowed out. More-so fat than muscle; she'd be hungry again before dawn. But at least there was still plenty leftover for her young.

She'd waited, let the blood run dry before attempting to drag the body home. The encroaching snow storm would cover any trace of her misdeed, tonight. There'd be no evidence to follow, come morning. How lucky was she that these teens had chosen this night of all nights to pay her a visit? Perhaps it was fate. Or perhaps, it was the will of It. Yes, some unseen force had been helping to keep her alive. Keep THEM alive. Something had helped keep her on clawed toes, alert her when a threat was sneaking closer, closing in. A combination of instinct and this unseen aid helped her hunt and feast, helped her provide for the new life, back in her refuge. Enough to keep her alive and going for the last cycle.

Half an hour later, having dragged the corpse all the way through twisting trees, Jay arrived at her refuge: an enormous white-barked tree, long hallowed out with enough space for herself and the pups she'd been carrying. Branches bare and bark almost the same tint as the snow, this tree in particular was almost impossible to find, blending in with the rest of the Winter scenery. It was also far enough into the woodland that most who dared wander into the woods with the aim to locate this refuge would be hunted down long before it was found. Perfect for housing her young. Their young.

On all fours, she neared the gaping mouth of the tree, exposed roots plunging into the frozen ground. From it, she could see the pudgy, clawed hands of one of her pups reaching to grasp the snow collecting along the tree. Their source of water, for the time being. Based on the black of its flesh and the gray of its fur, Jay recognized these hands as those of her son, Percival. "Percy", for short. Dropping the body close by the den, Jay lifted her short muzzle, emitting a few grunting yips. Two sets of four eyes appeared in the den's darkness, one set bright gold, the other a bright blue. Bright gold belonged to Percy, whom was first to emerge. Pudgy three-digit hands trailed up to furry humanoid arms, an equally-hairy torso supporting a furry spider-like head. Four eyes, larger primaries accompanied by two smaller secondaries, were set atop a pair of mandibles. All that masked a hidden mouth of sharp teeth. The humanoid-spider upper body led down into a spider-like body with six legs, each joint adorned with a puff of bundled gray fur. What flesh was exposed, namely his hands and underbelly, was of midnight-black. Bright blue belonged to his sister, Calliope. "Calli", for short. She looked a lot like her brother, but was chalk-white all over, her coat of fur not nearly as thick as Percy's. She also lacked the fur tufts on her legs, making up for this with a mane of white fur around her neck. While her brother had yellow claws, she had her mother's black ones, the color carrying over into her own mandibles. Both spiderlings, or "pups", moved about in a quick bird-like fashion, heads flitting about for any signs of danger before they crawled out to meet their mother.

All eight eyes fell on the body she'd provided, they wasting little time as they both settled on a limb and began to feast.

They were both still quite small, able to fit comfortably in one of their mother's arms. As to be expected; she'd only given birth to them, a month earlier. Just before Winter had set in, Jay had sought out and carved out this particular tree, serving as refuge while she waited for It to return. It had been her home for the passed cycle, these woods her new "neighborhood", the animals her new neighbors. Or food, depending on how she was feeling. She'd kept her word, her end of the deal, and didn't hunt any humans within Derry's limits. She hunted them only when they'd wandered into her territory, the forest. The scratches she'd left behind on all of Derry's limit signs were meant to inform humans attempting to depart that they were better off in town. That the woods would offer them no safety. At least with It's 27-year rest, they would be left in peace until It next woke up. Whenever that was, Jay only knew when she'd gone into labor. When the eggs finally hatched. They'd been rather small, hairless. Yet, their coats grew in quickly, and just in time for Winter. A month old already, which meant It wasn't far off from making a return. The 27-year mark wasn't too long ago. Jay had a hunch Pennywise would come back, that approaching Spring.

The "pups" made short work of the corpse, picking the bones clean. Bones she could probably eat later, when she got hungry again. Bellies full, both spiderlings began the short process of cleaning themselves, almost cat-like as they wiped clean their faces and arms. What patches of fur they couldn't reach, Jay stepped in to lick clean. A weird action she'd had to grow used to. Not that it took long, since she hadn't reassumed human form since her self-restriction to the forests. Perhaps once or twice, she'd become human again to show her former self to her pups, but that was about it. Most of her time, she spent in the form of a werewolf. Best for keeping her pups safe, provided for. Their bathing session over, both Calliope and Percival scuttled up their mother's arms to make themselves cozy in her black fur, tuck themselves under the flap of fabric around her neck. They hated the cold, seeking warmth the second they were able. A faint smile tugged at the She-Wolf's black lips. A breath was expelled, forming a cloud of fog. The wind picked up, signaling the storm's close presence. 'Just in time, too,' Jay thought, carrying her pups back within the shelter of their tree. She would dig up her snack, later.

For tonight, they would sleep out the storm as the bitter snow and wind wiped clean Derry's slate. Spring would come, soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't apologize for putting this off; I've had a lot going on for the last month or so--namely working. This was going to be longer, but I chose to break it up in chapters. The rest of this one will be posted in the next update, whenever I can find the time.
> 
> Updates may follow sometime after Christmas, once the holiday hype calms down.


	36. Reunion

It had taken them ages to make it, this far. In Victor's eyes, it did. This was the furthest they'd gone since Winter had relented.

They couldn't see a building in town, this far out. Nothing but trees and fresh greenery, most of the snow and ice gone. Morning would soon become mid-day. The wildlife had made its return, startling the trio whenever they felt the need. Victor made up the tail-end of the three, his wife just ahead of him, and their leader--their newly appointed "Alpha"--ahead of her. Spring hadn't thoroughly warmed up yet, forcing the trio to don jackets. Whatever other attire needed to fend off a light breeze and the threat of poison ivy.

Each of them brought a hunting rifle, a revolver packing silver bullets at each of their waists.

"How far's the next checkpoint, Toby? It's getting to be about time for us to go pick up Lynn," Winnie piped in, brushing free a leaf from her hair. Lynn, short for "Evelynn", was her and Victor's young daughter. Left with the grandparents while Mom and Dad went out on another hunt. Witch hunt, wild goose chase, whatever. They'd been out here since before dawn, their daughter having still been asleep when she was dropped off. This wasn't their first time, so there wasn't need to worry about what would happen when she woke up.

"Exactly. And we've already investigated the last two Elder trees," added Victor.

"Not that much farther," Toby reassured. "We've one left. If she's not there, we'll head back."

"Good, 'cause breakfast didn't hold me over," their ginger-haired companion muttered.

The path they wandered wasn't often traveled, as hinted to by the overgrowth. Sponge-like moss sunk under their boots, the ground soggy and nearly succeeding in tripping them on the rare occasion. The final tree, one of few trees large enough to house a mother beast, stood waiting half a day's trek into Derry's woodland. There were only two other Elder trees, one already decaying, the other completely untouched. This final tree had to hold the answers they sought. Otherwise, where would Jay have gone?

Where was she hiding the clown? The offspring Pennywise had left with her?

"Hold up, I think I see it," Winnie spoke, rushing ahead of the men. Neither of them stopped her, knowing at best that she would know more about the beast than any of them. This last tree, just sprouting new greenery, was still relatively healthy, despite the giant hole carved into it. Up close, Winnie observed the bark around the hole, fingers tracing what remained of claw marks. She found bits of shed fur, but nothing that was fresh, recent. She heard the men approach from behind, neither of them needing to ask a question. "Looks like she HAD been here, but no more, now. Slept out the Winter, from the looks of it," stated the dark-haired woman as she stepped back, further examining the hollow tree.

"Any sign of a nest?" wondered the Alpha, Toby.

To that, Winnie had to smirk. "Wolves don't make nests, Toby. We're not going to find out if she'd birthed her young via anything from her resting place. But it looks as though she'd been here."

Her husband took in a few sniffs, then cringed. "Kinda smells like it, too. Like something died here, a long time ago."

Toby, in the meantime, didn't find their quips all that humorous. He'd his hopes they would have found the beast here, put a bullet through her head and be done with her. Of course, she wouldn't be out here; that would have been far too convenient! "So there's no way of knowing if she's still in the area?" he asked. Winnie shrugged a shoulder, "Not until she hunts, again. With most of the snow gone, it's not like we can track her by foot. All we know now is that she'd made this her home, during the Winter. Perhaps...this had been her home for the last 27 years, or so." She flinched, nearly losing her footing on the exposed roots at Toby's sudden outburst, he slamming his fist against the tree. Old bark broke off, Winnie's automatic response triggering Victor to run and catch her. She pardoned herself with some reassuring, then furrowed her brows at their leader. "Uproot the whole thing while you're at it, why don't you? Last thing we need is for you to go and lose it. Jay's smart; she's not going to stick around and wait for us to find her. Especially not if she's carting babies with her. Now, we have to think logically. It's been another 27-year cycle, right? So where else would she have gone?"

Frustrated, Toby didn't bother to think it over. Winnie could only sigh. "If HE'S woken back up, she'll have gone to find him."

"Gone to find him, WHERE?" Toby almost growled. "We've already ruled out Neibolt, time and time again. The staff working the sewers haven't found anything definitive if anyone or anything's--"

"She wouldn't have gone back to Neibolt, Toby! If I remember Jay the way she used to be, she wouldn't take her young back to a place she would now consider a death trap. She knows that's where we would first check!"

"Then where else are we supposed to look?! She hasn't been in town, she's hardly left the forest--"

"We look for caves," Victor cut in, trying to offer a solution. When both were silent and focused on him, he continued. "Dens, burrows. Underground tunnels, even. Any escape routes she would've made for herself and her young. Much like a rabbit's warren, an animal mother and her young would need back-up escape routes if their original shelter was ever found, violated."

His wife nodded along. "That makes sense. And that would also explain how and why nobody's seen her move about, during the day."

Toby took his few minutes to calm himself. A witch hunt, a wild goose chase, whatever people wanted to call it. Exactly what Jay had led them on for 27 years. Always a step or two ahead. And what of these "underground tunnels"? Victor couldn't mean the exterior access points to the sewers, could he? That would take up more time, as there were numerous access points, this far out from Derry! And it wasn't just Jay or her "pups" they needed to worry about; what if IT had come back?

"Well, we at least know where she's been, all this time. We can pin-point exactly which access hatches she could reach from here when we get home. Let's retreat for now, get some fuel in our bellies, see how Lynn's doing. We'll regroup, take a look at the schematics for the sewer system. Go from there, I guess. Unless you guys have any better suggestions?" Winnie said, drawing her map and a pen from her travel bag to mark down exactly where Jay's refuge was located. Victor glanced from her to Toby. The other male had nothing to add. "Alright, let's call it, here. We'll get on it before the sun sets," the woman confirmed, repacking her belongings in preparation to leave. Their Alpha loitered behind, sparing glances through the trees. Jay was out there, somewhere. Toying with them. He just knew it. 'Probably watching us, right now,' he bitterly thought to himself. He heard the others call to him, urge him to follow.

In the distance, they heard the town's bell begin to ring with a new hour.

********************************************************

Once. Twice. Three times...

She hummed along with the initial tune, body crouched on the roof of a business. Her arms rested on her bent knees, her ice-blue eyes casually staring down at the black stubs of claws that tipped her fingers.

Four. Five. Six times...

A rotation of a shoulder adjusted the black travel bag on her back, unintentionally disturbing the young life forms, hiding inside. "Be still," she gently instructed, sensing them settle as she stood.

Seven. Eight. Nine...

Nobody below appeared to notice her, up here. Due to her own powers or It's, that was unknown. There wasn't a rule against her being in Derry's limits. She just couldn't hunt anyone on those streets. Shame...as many of them would have made for a decent meal, a perfect target for her young to hunt for their first time.

Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Noon. The Spring Carnival would've been open for an hour, now.

She turned and went to scale her way down the back wall of the building, deciding it best to warp her appearance if she were to be among the public, again. With an unseen power, her midnight-blue outfit transformed into a pair of pants and a hoodie. Her casual look when she was but a human. And speaking of which, she'd let her chalk-white flesh shift back to a warm peach tone, her pointed ears rounding out, and fangs only just shrinking. Her shoulder-length hair and glasses remained the same. And while 27 years had passed for everyone else, Jay seemingly hadn't aged a day. Thankfully, Derry hadn't changed much, either. Perhaps It just didn't like change? Maybe It didn't want to lose its control over Derry? Jay prayed to herself that It would be okay with one change, at least: becoming a father.

Her monstrous appearance human for now, Jay made way down Derry's streets to come upon the entrance to the carnival. The first of the new year, and It's favorite hunting ground. The setting of bustling people and the screams that poured from the various rides were enough cover when It made a kill. It--Pennywise--hadn't attempted to call to her when he first woke. A little hurtful, until Jay had thought it over. Having just woken up, he was probably just hungry. VERY hungry. Of course, his first act would be to find something to eat. And naturally, he'd be drawn to the carnival. His favorite guise fit right in, after all. Jay, herself, didn't possess the same ability to warp her appearance, beyond her monstrous self and human.

Standing in line to enter, the disguised brunette peered around the humans before her to glimpse their level of security. There was, of course, a bag-checking station. Now, Jay also didn't have the same cloaking ability that Penn had to hide herself or her young from human eyes. Yet, there was still ONE ability It had granted her in its absence...

"Bag-check line starts here, ma'am. Would you mind if we took a look?" questioned the attendant, rather politely. Aware that she was spoken to, Jay stepped from her line to meet the uniformed man. A kindly smile, her human-blue eyes on his brown ones. "Thanks, but you've already looked, earlier. I'm all set," she casually responded, her human eyes flashing to icy-blue for a split second. The man beamed back, politely allowing her passage, "Yes, ma'am. Please enjoy yourself." A calm thanks was given in turn, and she proceeded to pay her entry fee. Whatever cash she'd scrapped off her human kills, she'd held on to for situations like this. Her fee paid and hand stamped, she entered the carnival, already finding it filling with people. Unsurprising, as there usually wasn't much else happening in Derry. Easter hadn't come, just yet.

However, unlike everyone else, Jay wasn't there for the rides or snacks. She'd hoped to meet someone, here. Initially wandering about, she let her untapped senses dull to human levels--meant to avoid sensory overload. Children screamed or cried, laughed or fussed. Teens were already dead-set on tricking a scared friend onto the thrill rides, the scary attractions. For now, pizza was the dominant scent in the air. At least, until the other food stands heated up their popcorn and corn dogs. The brunette sighed to herself, a lightly-clawed hand gripping a bag strap. She had to find him fast, before the funnel cakes filled her nostrils. Soon enough standing at the carnival's heart, Jay lowered her head, her first instinct to try and listen for the clown. Ineffective here, as all she could hear were the surrounding screams and cheer from the humans. She couldn't tell if those horrified screams were from a sheer drop on the roller coaster or from a ravenous clown about to tear out one's throat.

Jay gave up on listening, swapping that out for her sense of smell. Heightened, thanks to her "inner wolf". Her Deadlight. And right away, she sniffed out exactly what she'd expected from a carnival. Cotton candy, hot dogs, the cheap cheese sauce for nachos. That was either baked apples or candied apples. Alright, now--had he just not hunted yet, or...?

The scent of fresh blood was eventually detected. Ah, there it was~

She followed the scent towards the large wooden coaster, it leading her to the locked maintenance gate. A simple padlock, the blockade barely too tall for her to peer over. Nothing she couldn't handle, now. A quick look here, one there. Clearing the area of any bystanders, and...she reached to grab the lock, easily ripping it open and free from its latch. The gate was opened enough for her to squeeze herself and her bag through, and she shut it closed after her. A dirt path stretched onward from here, leading her around a large shrub. There were more screams and the rattling from the carts above as the coaster rushed by, once more. The sound alien to her young, they shifted about in her bag. Again, she muttered to them to stay calm, having to squint to block out the sunlight. Under the coaster's structure and hidden in its shade, she thought she could make out a person. A child? Oh...no. No, not a child. A man, crouched down. The stench of blood was strong, here. Daring to step into the shade, Jay said nothing as she came to a stop upon the sight before her.

The silver costume and ginger hair told her everything. He was crouched by his kill, the body--that of a teen--lying headless. Very likely how he'd killed them. He hadn't noted her presence, far too occupied with his feasting. A gruesome sight, what with spilt blood all over. But in Jay, it ignited something familiar. Nostalgia, was it? Enough of a warm feeling to pull a smile at her face, elicit a small laugh in the form of an expelled breath. Enough of a sound to disturb the feasting monster, whom abruptly turned to glare with red-rimmed irises. Upon recognizing the person there with him, he froze, his threatening eyes shifting to alluring with a short blink. He stood painfully slowly, his fangs retracting, his claws withdrawing. Turning toward his mate, he offered a welcome grin, unable to speak the words before Jay beat him to them.

"Hiya, Penn," she spoke, fighting the emotional sting in her eyes. As if to bypass it, she nodded once toward the corpse. "Enough there for the pups?"

The clown's head tilted in curiosity, wonder. Her smile becoming a grin, she wordlessly slipped the bag off her shoulders, setting it to rest in an arm to free a hand and open it up. With her gentle coaxing, the creatures inside cautiously peered out, as equally excited to see the world as they were afraid of it. Percy was first to emerge, his sister following. A few bird-like whips of his head, and he caught sight of the strange blood-covered clown, nearby. Calliope was next to notice, but was frightened back into the bag with her brother's sudden hissing screech, his mandibles parted to let his fanged jaws open in threat. Yet, instead of defending his mother and sister, he too resorted to tucking himself within the safety of the bag. "Oh, now. Percy--" Jay began, silenced with a gentle waving from the clown. She again said nothing as he approached, his eyes trained on the bag she held. In another tongue, he spoke. Not to her, but to their offspring. Inexperienced with this language of his, she could only make out a few words. "No harm." "Safe." "Creators." "Mother and father." She had to assume he was aiming to convince them there was no need for THEM to be afraid--not of their creators. Their "mother and father". Fear may have been what It fed on, but how unheard of it was for It to feed on the fear of its OWN offspring! Gradually, this worked, as the "pups" re-emerged to blink their multiple eyes up at him. A gloved hand was extended to them both, Percy hesitantly reaching towards his with his own, and Calli slowly leaning closer to hers. Their son carefully clung to his father's glove, pulling it close enough for him to lap the blood from the fabric. Calli eventually brushed her furry head against her father's palm, allowing him the moment to touch her.

Neither of the parents spoke, one more-so fixated on the other for a reaction. It hadn't been known to show or display emotion, but...Jay could still swear there was SOMETHING there. Something in those eyes, behind that faint smile. Perhaps a sense of awe, It having seen two of its LIVING young for the first time? Perhaps It was still learning itself how to be parental? "You've done so well..." Pennywise finally mumbled, lightly startling Jay in her own skin. Not that she expected any praise. Nor did she expect the emotions to come flooding back ten-fold. When he finally shifted his attention to her, she felt the stinging sensation in her eyes and shut them to again fight it off. "It hasn't been easy," she managed, just before the tears could blind her. A hand pressed against her back, pulling her closer to his costumed form. His head rested against hers, all it took to coax a few tears from her closed eyes. Their pups between them, Jay couldn't reach to hug him, instead hoping a near-desperate grasp at the fabric of his suit would suffice.

'I missed you.'

His thought, not hers. But it pulled her from her emotional pit so that she could return the favor.

'I missed you, most.'

A comfortable silence ensued, the pups' chirping and growling the only sounds.

"Not here," Pennywise decided, sparing a tender second to dry his mate's eyes. Another second dedicated to thought, and he cast her a smile. "Come. Follow Pennywise." Among the coaster's skeleton, he withdrew, luring and leading Jay on. Wherever he meant to bring them, she cared not. He would hurt her in no way. Neither her or their young. Their contented pups nestled in the bag she still held, she walked on after him, both leaving the remnants of the corpse to be discovered by a utility worker, later that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lord--what a year it's been! (And I don't mean that in a good way.)
> 
> I can't say there was much "good" to be reflected upon. I finally traded out my old car for a newer one, and I've made a year now in my new place. But that couldn't even out all the "bad": my vacation time was all canceled, I haven't gotten to see my friends in a year, I had to say goodbye to a pet of 16 years, I got ill with the worst UTI I've ever had, and I didn't get to spend my holidays the way I'd hoped. Namely, rushing through them all so that I could be available for work...
> 
> 2020's taken SO much out of me. I'm glad I've had AO3 and video games to keep my mind off all the bad, for the most part.
> 
> As for OLHS, I'm almost finished with the last chapters, and can dedicate my time to Revival. But that'll have to wait until the family's done visiting. Let's hope and pray 2021 can do better!

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I'm taking a crack at an "IT" fanfic, having seen both movies from 2017 and 2019. Honestly, to me, neither of the movies were scary. Rather, they've just perked an interest of the infamous clown in me. (Several years of helping to operate a Halloween trail will do that to you.)
> 
> This might end up being somewhat of an indulgence for me, considering I'm basically implanting my apparent lack of fear into my primary character, here. I have no idea how well this one's going to turn out, since I don't have much to base Pennywise off of, but I'm giving it my best shot.
> 
> Again, there might not be a romantic relationship in this 'fic. Perhaps in a sequel, if I get that far. XD
> 
> (And yes, that's TOTALLY a ripped FNAF title. I just thought it was fitting for what I've brewing in my head.)


End file.
